St- 


LIFE  AND  SERVICE  SERIES 
Short  elective  courses 

STUDIES   IN  THE   PARABLES   OF   JESUS 
Thirteen  lessons.    By  Halford  E.  Luccock. 

POVERTY  AND  WEALTH 
Thirteen   lessons.       By   Harry  F.   Ward. 

THE  LIQUOR  PROBLEM 
Thirteen  lessons.    By  Norman  E.  Richardson. 

INTERNATIONAL  PEACE 
Thirteen  lessons.    By  Norman  E.  Richardson. 

HEART    MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 
By  Ralph  Welles  Keeler. 


LIFE  AND    SERVICE   SERIES  92 

Edited  by  V^ 

Henry  H.  Meyer  and  David  G.  Downey        ^>v5(^i0filCiL  %\S^ 


HEART  MESSAGES 
FROM  THE  PSALMS 


By 
RALPH  WELLES  KEELER 

With  an  Introduction  by 
ROBERT  W.  ROGERS 


THE  ABINGDON  PRESS 
NEW  YORK  CINCINNATI 


Copyright,  1919,  by 
RALPH  WELLES  KEELER 


Firrt  Edition  Printed  February,  1919 
Reprinted  July,  1920 


The  Bible  text  in  this  volume  is  taken  from  the  American  Standard  Edition 
of  the  Revised  Bible,  copyright,  1901,  by  Thomaa  Nelson  A  Sons,  and  is  uaed  by 
permieflion. 


To 
Eleanor  Elizabeth  Keeler 

AND 

Ralph  Welles  Keeler,  Jr. 


CONTENTS 

CBAPTBE  ,ACE 

Introduction 9 

Author's  Preface 11 

Bibliography 13 

I.  The  Delights  of  the  Righteous 15 

II.  The  Inspiration  to  Reverence 26 

III.  A  Sense  of  God's  Bountiful  Care 35 

IV.  Courage 45 

V.  The  Pathos  of  Life 54 

VI.  Comfort  in  Sorrow 62 

VII.  God  our  Refuge 72 

VIII.  Sorrow  for  Sin 81 

IX.  The  Joys  of  the  Sanctuary 89 

X.  Trust  in  God 99 

XI.  Adoration  and  Praise 109 

XII.  Gratitude  and  Thanksgiving 119 

XIII.  Hope 129 


INTRODUCTION 

It  was  one  of  the  fine  sayings  of  the  mystic  Arndt  that 
"what  the  heart  is  in  man,  that  is  the  Psalter  in  the  Bible/' 
and  he  who  sought  for  every  encouragement  of  the  inner 
life  of  God's  kingdom  among  men  went  not  astray  in  seek- 
ing in  the  incomparable  book  a  rich  treasure.  What  Arndt 
sought  and  found  in  the  sixteenth  century  shone  no  less 
clearly  in  the  centuries  that  have  since  passed,  as  succeeding 
generations  opened  the  treasure  and  garnered  each  for  him- 
self out  of  the  store  that  never  grew  less.  But  every  gen- 
eration must  seek  anew;  naught  that  others  have  garnered 
avails  to  satisfy  the  renewing  needs  of  men.  So  it  happens 
that  a  new  heart  and  hand  and  a  fresh  and  vigorous  mind 
have  gone  a-searching,  and  lo,  dear  Reader,  here's  the  treas- 
ure trove  set  out  fair  and  beautiful  for  you.  Take  it  and 
be  wise;  own  it  as  your  own  and  be  happy.  But  before 
you  read  would  you  hear  another's  witness?  Here  it  is, 
for  I  have  read  and  am  the  wiser,  have  possessed  as  though 
never  before  the  secret  of  the  Book  of  Psalms  and  am 
happy.  For  I  have  read  in  this  little  book  many  a  wise 
saying  in  modern  words,  full  of  life,  fresh,  real,  true  and 
good,  and  you  shall  read  them  now.  I  congratulate  you  on 
this  opportunity,  and  count  my  friend,  the  author,  very 
happy  indeed  so  to  serve  this  present  age. 

Robert  W.  Rogers. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 

To  many  the  Psalms  are  merely  songs  of  yesterday.  Some 
of  them  have  been  memorized  in  childhood;  others  have 
been  read  in  the  responsive  service  at  the  hour  of  worship. 
One  or  two  have  become  imbedded  in  the  literature  of  suc- 
ceeding generations.  But  to  the  masses  of  people  the 
Psalms  seem  not  to  have  spoken  in  strong,  convincing  terms 
of  the  great  emotions  of  life  to-day. 

The  Psalms  have  not  been  at  fault.  Folks  have  not 
communed  with  them  as  they  are  wont  to  do  with  later 
poets.  Accustomed  to  the  poetical  forms  of  the  last  three 
hundred  years,  men  have  often  failed  to  catch  the  appeal  of 
these  lays  of  antiquity,  sung  by  Hebrews  long  since  dead. 

Yet  in  the  upheaval  of  thought  and  social  structure  now 
going  on  men  are  turning  in  every  direction  for  some  mes- 
sage for  life.  Where  better  seek  it  than  in  the  great  songs 
of  Israel?  In  an  hour  like  ours  it  may  be  that  fellowship 
can  be  established  between  those  who  have  lived  and  have 
sung  of  God,  and  ourselves  who  need  him  so  sorely. 

The  message  of  the  poet  knows  neither  time,  place,  nor 
age.  It  is  marked  by  a  universal  characteristic  which  sets 
vibrating  heart-chords  the  world  over.  Translate  it  from 
language  to  language,  and  it  finds  a  response,  if  it  really 
is  poetry  and  not  merely  verse.  For  poetry  sings  of  the 
universal  experiences  of  the  race,  its  griefs  and  joys,  its 
disappointments  and  aspirations,  its  loves,  its  hates,  its 
hopes.    It  is  a  soul  singing  itself  out  into  other  souls. 

The  psalmists  were  poets.  So  well  did  they  sing  that  we 
listen  back  through  the  ages,  that  we  may  not  lose  a  note. 
They  did  not  write  in  rime,  but  with  vigorous  terseness 
and  a  remarkable  power  of  condensation  they  put  their 
poetry  into  rhythm  with  a  balanced  symmetry  of  form  and 
sense.  Poetasters  and  the  erudite  rejoice  in  the  details  of 
form  and  structure  of  these  songs  of  Israel. 

Our  quest,  however,  is  for  a  message.    As  we  have  the 

11 


12  AUTHOR'S  PEEFACE 

Psalms  they  fall  into  three  groups :  personal,  national,  and 
liturgical.  It  is  the  personal  psalms  that  are  studied  in 
these  lessons.  No  matter  how  deeply  we  are  concerned  in 
the  broader  aspects  of  life,  our  viewpoints  and  attitudes  are 
based  on  a  personal  philosophy.  The  psalmist  speaks  to  us 
out  of  his  personal  experience,  and  our  own  experience  re- 
sponds. With  a  mood  like  his  we  can  think  in  our  own  way 
to  the  use  of  his  conclusions  in  our  own  life.  And  his 
conclusions  have  value  for  us.  They  rest  upon  the  founda- 
tion of  faith  in  God,  upon  which  our  own  civilization  and 
spiritual  relationships  are  also  based. 

The  aim  of  these  lessons  is  to  make  the  Psalms  live  in 
personal  experience  to-day.  While  a  careful  and  accurate 
exposition  is  given  of  each  psalm  the  stereotyped  method 
of  presenting  it  has  been  avoided.  The  significance  of  the 
psalm  both  in  the  life  of  the  psalmist  and  in  the  life  of 
the  psalmist's  people  is  explained.  Emphasis  is  placed 
upon  the  universal  character  of  the  experience  or  emotion 
prompting  the  writing  of  the  psalm  and  the  value  of  its 
message  as  a  part  of  our  thinking.  And  finally,  the  prac- 
tical stimulus  of  a  study  of  this  kind  is  shown  in  con- 
crete application  to  daily  living.  Live,  pointed  questions 
for  discussion  help  to  enforce  this. 

Heart  Messages  from  the  Psalms  was  first  taught  to  the 
Men's  Bible  Class  of  the  Pleasant  Ridge  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  of  which  the  author  was 
privileged  to  be  the  teacher  for  several  months.  Many 
helpful  criticisms  and  practical  suggestions  were  received 
during  the  process.  The  writer  acknowledges  his  gratitude 
for  the  cooperation  by  the  men  of  this  class  which  made 
possible  the  "trying  out"  of  these  lessons  before  putting 
them  into  their  final  form. 

The  author  would  also  acknowledge  with  great  apprecia- 
tion the  scholarly  and  critical  help  of  Ellen  Coughlin 
Keeler,  in  the  writing  of  these  Heart  Messages  from  the 
Psalms. 

Kalph  Welles  EIeeler. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

It  will  be  a  great  help  to  any  student  of  the  Psalms  to  read 
them  in  an  edition  of  the  Bible  in  which  they  are  printed  as 
poetry  and  with  regard  to  their  form.  An  exceedingly  handy 
and  helpful  edition  of  the  Psalms  is  The  Psalms  and  Lamenta- 
tions, edited  by  Richard  G.  Moulton  (The  Modern  Readers 
Bible),  in  two  volumes.  An  illuminating  Introduction  to  the 
Psalms  is  printed  in  the  first  volume. 

Of  the  smaller  commentaries  The  Psalms  (in  two  small 
volumes)  in  The  New  Century  Bible,  and  The  Psalms  (in 
three  small  volumes)  in  the  Cambridge  Bible  for  Schools  and 
Colleges,  are  among  the  best.  The  former  are  by  Professor 
Davison  and  Professor  T.  Witton  Davies,  the  latter  by  Dr.  A. 
F.  Kirkpatrick. 

Those  having  The  Worker  and  His  Bible,  by  F.  C.  Eiselen 
and  Wade  Crawford  Barclay,  will  find  in  it  a  section  on  the 
Psalms  which  is  of  great  value. 


13 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  DELIGHTS  OF  THE  RIGHTEOUS 

additional  readings,  psalus  15  and  101 

The  First  Psalm 

"Blessed  is  the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the 

wicked, 
Nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners, 
Nor  sitteth  in  the  seat  of  scoffers: 
But  his  delight  is  in  the  law  of  Jehovah; 
And  on  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day  and  night. 
And  he  shall  be  like  a  tree  planted  by  the  streams  of  water. 
That  bringeth  forth  its  fruit  in  its  season. 
Whose  leaf  also  doth  not  wither; 
And  whatsoever  he  doeth  shall  prosper. 
The  wicked  are  not  so. 

But  are  like  the  chaff  which  the  wind  driveth  away. 
Therefore  the  wicked  shall  not  stand  in  the  judgment, 
Nor  sinners  in  the  congregation  of  the  righteous. 
For  Jehovah  knoweth  the  way  of  the  righteous; 
But  the  way  of  the  wicked  shall  perish." 

Making  Distinctions 

The  Modern  Way.  Most  folks  to-day  would  find  this 
psalm  both  quaint  and  old-fashioned  were  the  poet  to  pre- 
sent it  in  the  morning  paper  of  our  hustling  cities.  The 
hurrying  rush  of  present-day  business  life  would  have  it 
paraphrased.    Many  would  wish  to  repeat  it  thus : 

"Blessed  is  the  man  who  'gets  there'  by  any  possible  means, 
That  walketh  in  the  counsel  of  'big  interests,' 
That  standeth  in  the  way  of  political  and  financial  advance- 
ment. 
That  sitteth  on  the  board  of  directors, 
That  looketh  on  his  fellows  with  scorn  and  contempt. 
That  thinketh  that  he  alone  knoweth  the  secrets  of  life. 
That  pusheth  and  shoveth  until  he  standeth  alone, 
That  maketh  his  ethics  to  fit  his  expediency, 

15 


16     HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

That  delighteth  to  grind  his  fellows  with  his  little  power. 
That  counteth  on  God  as  a  need  in  time  of  death, 
That  rejoiceth  that  he  is  able  to  do  the  whole  task  of  life 
regardless  of  man  and  God." 

Yet,  tested  by  the  experiences  of  the  centuries,  the  psalmist 
was  right.  The  modern  rendering  saps  the  real  joy  out  of 
^life.  No  one  lives  continuously  in  the  spotlight  of  self- 
satisfaction.  There  come  hours  when  a  deeper  happiness 
is  demanded  than  the  joy  of  achievement  or  the  idle  hour 
of  venting  one's  cynicism  on  the  world.  The  psalmist  had 
Hhe  right  idea.  His  was  an  abiding  happiness,  which  added 
value  to  every  commonplace  experience  in  life.  An  old  fogy, 
perhaps,  to  the  rising  generation,  but  a  man  possessed  of 
a  contented  mind.  And  this  not  of  the  stagnant  variety. 
He  was  alive.  He  knew  the  sorrow  and  sin  of  life.  He  had 
met  the  man  who  throws  a  wet  blanket  over  every  human 
joy.  The  "knockers'^  had  had  their  fling  at  him  as  they 
sat  swapping  nothings  at  the  city  gate.  He  had  not  written 
finis  to  the  book  of  a  man's  activities.  Eather,  he  had 
gained  a  poise  which  stood  by  him  despite  the  hard  things 
in  life.  So  he  wrote  his  psalm  as  a  man  who  has  looked 
at  the  world  and  chosen  its  best. 
>  Making  Distinctions.  Good  and  evil  never  travel  well 
together.  The  distinction  between  them  is  too  great.  As 
man  has  developed  and  life  has  increased  in  its  complexity 
this  has  become  more  apparent.  Every  age  has  had  its  men 
•%  of  vision  who  have  urged  that  "the  wages  of  sin  is  death.'' 
The  advocates  of  the  negative  value  of  right  living  have 
been  in  the  majority.  The  positive  doctrine  that  righteous- 
ness is  the  pathway  to  fuller  life  is  the  burden  of  the 
psalmist's  song.  There  is  an  accrued  value  in  doing  the 
will  of  God.  He  does  not  ignore  the  avoidance  of  evil. 
Far  from  it.  But  light  and  life,  darkness  and  death  are 
weighed  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  scales.  He  calls  sin 
by  its  first  name.  He  places  satisfaction  in  right  living  on 
the  plane  of  usefulness  to  society.  There  are  two  ways  of 
life,  and  as  he  points  them  out  they  are  aflame  with  the 
marks  of  a  man's  own  experience. 

Negative  Righteousness.  The  negative  side  of  the  psalm- 
ist's righteousness  is  seen  in  those  things  which  he  pur- 


THE  DELIGHTS  OF  THE  RIGHTEOUS       17 

posely  avoids.  There  are  some  experiences  in  which  he  will 
not  participate.  Are  the  centers  of  his  thought-life  to  be 
dominated  by  the  thoughts  and  ideas  of  evil  men?  They 
talk  of  lust,  and  oppressions  of  the  poor,  of  opportunity  for 
quick  gain.  To  share  in  the  thinking  of  such  men  would 
make  him  less  sensitive  to  any  allurement  that  might  lurk 
in  their  suggestions.  Will  he  have  any  part  in  the  habits 
of  those  who  habitually  stray  from  the  path  of  right?  To^ 
know  the  right  and  yet  participate  in  evil  is  folly.  And 
what  about  those  self-sufficient  men  who  scorn  the  help  of 
God,  who  with  their  defiant  and  cynical  free  thinking  are 
immune  to  argument  or  reproof  ?  Will  he  be  found  among 
them?  Not  he.  Why  let  go  a  heritage  of  happiness  be- 
cause other  men  have  it  not?  With  friend  and  foe  among 
those  who  make  the  right  choice  difficult,  he  writes  his  own 
answer  in  the  words : 

"Blessed  is  the  man  that  walketh  not  in  the  counsel  of  the 

wicked, 
Nor  standeth  in  the  way  of  sinners, 
Nor  sitteth  in  the  seat  of  scoffers." 

He  knows  their  jeers.  But  he  knows  God  also.  He  stands 
on  a  principle.  Those  who  think  and  do  evil,  those  who 
hurl  their  shafts  of  ridicule  against  things  good,  shall  not 
be  his  companions.  One  feels  like  cheering  for  the  ancient 
singer ! 

Positive  Righteousness,  Negative  goodness  of  itself  is* 
not  sufficient  for  virile  souls.  The  great  adventure  of  posi- 
tive righteousness  calls  to  a  thorough  trying-out  of  the 
constructive  possibilities  of  a  good  life.  Men  yearn  for  a 
chance  to  smash  evil,  not  merely  to  avoid  it.  The  "Thou* 
shalt  not"  cries  out  for  a  companion  motive  of  "Thou 
shalt."  Thus  it  was  in  the  experience  of  the  psalmist.  And 
is  it  not  so  with  us  as  well?  Does  the  mere  avoidance  of 
evil,  excellent  as  that  is,  satisfy  our  longings?  Shall  we 
keep  ourselves  clean  the  while  a  multitude  are  ruined  by 
petty  sins  and  outright  violence?  Are  we  not  responsible 
for  the  brothel,  the  murders,  the  sins  of  those  whom  we 
avoid  ?  Shall  we  be  satisfied  with  talking  about  the  evils  of 
our  community,  and  never  wipe  them  out?  Is  there  not  a 


18     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

desire  to  do  something  for  the  kingdom  of  God  as  well  as 
share  in  its  blessings?  The  demands  of  our  growth  in 
fellowship  with  God  require  this  even  if  our  own  yearning 
did  not  crave  for  it.  The  psalmist  is  one  with  us  when  he 
steps  beyond  the  choosing  of  the  folks  with  whom  he  will 
associate  and  sets  a  standard  of  action  for  himself.  He 
asks  for  the  full  knowledge  of  God ;  then  he  goes  about  the 
task  of  securing  that  knowledge.  What  a  giant  for  clean- 
ing up  a  city  such  a  man  could  be !  Why  do  we  stop  with 
our  own  satisfaction  in  God  ? 

Some  Setbacks  to  Folly 

The  Value  of  Meditation  on  God's  Word.  There  is 
more  than  one  way  of  using  God's  Word.  How  do  we  use 
it  ?  Do  we  read  it  hastily  to  grasp  just  its  trend  ?  Do  we 
study  it  for  the  purpose  of  using  its  messages  for  argument, 
and  debate,  for  quoting  in  prayer  meeting,  or  do  we  con 
it  over  and  over  as  a  personal  revelation  of  life?  It  was 
this  turning  over  of  each  word  and  phrase  to  which  the 
psalmist's  hours  of  meditation  were  given.  All  divine 
revelation  became  to  him  a  guide  to  life.  Every  righteous 
precept  that  was  available  became  a  part  of  his  thinking. 
He  stored  his  mind  with  the  treasures  of  spiritual  joy. 
He  sought  to  know  God's  will  for  him  by  thinking  through 
his  own  life  in  the  light  of  his  meditations  on  the  law  of 
God.  He  did  not  want  to  know  the  law  in  order  to  tell 
others  how  bad  they  were.  He  delighted  in  God.  He  re- 
joiced in  God's  Word.  Of  course  he  did  not  have  all  of 
it  that  we  have,  but  he  reveled  in  what  he  had.  He  tried 
it  out  in  his  relations  with  others.  He  grew  enthusiastic 
over  it.  His  plan  of  life  became  a  safeguard  against 
the  lures  of  the  ungodly,  the  sinners,  and  the  scoffers. 
Duty  became  easier  because  the  plan  of  the  psalmist's  life 
was  centered  in  the  will  of  God  for  him.  What  a  rebuke 
is  this  to  us ! 

The  Testimony  of  Life.    The  measures  of  this  song  roll 

out  with  the  assurance  of  a  man  who  "knows."    The  singer 

^has  seen  the  palm  tree  growing  by  the  river  or  fed  by  the 

channels  used  to  irrigate  the  parched  soil.    He  has  noted 


THE  DELIGHTS  OF  THE  EIGHTEOUS       19 

its  evergreen  foliage  and  has  had  pleasure  in  its  fruit.  Its 
sturdiness  has  appealed  to  him,  and  its  constant  develop- 
ment to  the  fullness  for  which  it  was  intended  grips  his 
imagination.  ''Just  so,"  he  cries,  "is  the  righteous  man^ 
Fed  by  the  streams  of  God,  he  develops  as  God  intended 
that  he  should  develop,  just  as  surely  as  do  the  foliage  and 
fruit  of  the  water-nourished  palm.  The  righteous  man 
may  well  be  happy,  for  he  carries  through  to  a  successful 
end  the  destiny  appointed  to  him  by  his  Creator.^'  "Elimi- 
nate the  handicap  of  trying  to  carry  a  smug  face  and  a  soul 
of  hell,''  he  would  say.  "Clean  house,  if  you  would  live 
right,  and  refurnish  entirely  after  the  cleaning."  Do 
meditation  and  experience  summon  us  to  a  testing  of  this 
truth  for  ourselves  ? 

Raising  Chaff.  "Light-weight"  men  and  women  always^ 
abound.  Less  than  the  breeze  on  a  thresher's  floor  blows 
them  away.  Only  that  which  is  of  value  is  ever  preserved 
permanently.  Useless  things  and  useless  folks  ultimately 
go  to  the  scrap  heap.  "Chaff"  souls  are  fanned  out  in 
garnering  the  grain  of  the  Kingdom.  And  that  process  is 
at  work  where  exorbitant  charges  are  made  as  well  as  where* 
souls  are  sold  for  a  mess  of  pottage,  as  well  where  "our 
best  citizens"  pay  wages  below  a  living  scale  as  where 
drunkards  and  murderers  gather.  Only  the  righteous  in- 
herit the  kingdom  of  God.  And  while  the  chaff  and  straw 
may  sway  in  the  breeze  and  glisten  in  the  sunlight  before 
the  day  of  harvest,  their  glory  ends  then.  The  husband- 
man builds  barns  only  for  the  grain  with  its  life-giving 
power.  The  chaff  and  straw  are  blown  away  or  left  to 
deteriorate  in  the  field.  A  chaff  soul  can  have  nothing  but 
the  destiny  of  a  chaff  soul. 

"For  Jehovah  knoweth  the  way  of  the  righteous; 
But  the  way  of  the  wicked  shall  perish." 

God  does  not  mince  matters  when  it  comes  to  giving  a 
man  his  real  name. 

The  Day  of  Appraisal.  'No  sane  man  would  argue  with 
the  psalmist.  As  a  man  thinks  and  lives,  so  is  he  and  so 
shall  he  be.  A  righteous  man  will  inherit  a  righteous  man's 
heritage  and  receive  a  righteous  man's  reward,  This  sounds 


20     HEART  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

scriptural.  It  is.  It  is  from  the  pages  of  human  experi- 
ence. It  does  not  matter  what  experiences  a  man  meets 
in  life,  but  it  does  matter  how  he  meets  them.  God  justifies 
•his  own  righteousness  in  the  way  in  which  righteous  men 
develop  and  magnify  his  name  by  their  daily  living.  Hence 
the  righteous  are  daily  setting  their  own  appraisal  on  their 
lives.  This  appraisal  God  confirms  to  them  in  the  con- 
tentment and  happiness  which  they  enjoy.  But  for  the 
wicked  there  is  no  joy,  either  present  or  future.  The  ways 
in  which  men  deceive  themselves  in  the  matter  of  happiness 
are  apparent  even  to  themselves.  Outwardly  there  may  be 
a  simulation  of  peace  and  joy,  but  within  is  a  riot  of  un- 
rest and  an  awaiting  for  they  know  not  what.  It  all  savors 
<)f  "the  morning  after.''  They  have  chosen  a  path  which 
leads  below  the  levels  of  spiritual  satisfaction.  In  moments 
of  honest  thought  they  realize,  as  did  the  psalmist,  that 

"Jehovah  knoweth  the  way  of  the  righteous; 
But  the  way  of  the  wicked  shall  perish." 

The  End  of  the  Trail,  The  end  of  every  trail  is  decided 
in  part  by  its  beginning.  A  life  lived  under  the  watchful 
care  of  God  becomes  a  way  of  joy  and  peace,  and  its  jour- 
ney ends  in  a  life  eternal.  God's  knowledge  is  not  theo- 
retical. He  knows.  And  the  journey  of  a  righteous  man 
involves  God's  approval,  care,  and  guidance.  It  leads  to 
God  himself.  God  takes  care  that  the  traveler  arrives  at 
the  journey's  end.  To  the  latter  it  has  all  the  assurance 
expressed  in  Bryant's  "Lines  to  a  Waterfowl."  When 
watching  it  wing  its  way  across  the  heavens,  he  cried  out : 

"He  who  from  zone  to  zone 

Guides  through  the  boundless  sky  thy  certain  flight, 
In  the  long  way  that  I  must  tread  alone 
Will  lead  my  steps  aright." 

God  also  knows  the  manner  of  life  of  the  wicked  and  its 
rebellion  in  ignoring  the  unalterable  laws  of  his  govern- 
ment. And  by  those  same  laws  he  knows  that  the  way  of 
the  wicked  can  lead  only  to  destruction,  that  the  end  of 
the  trail  for  such  is  spiritual  death.  James  Russell  Lowell 
has  voiced  this  experience ; 


THE  DELIGHTS  OF  THE  RIGHTEOUS       21 

"O  glorious  Youth  that  once  wast  mine! 

O  high  Ideal!  all  in  vain 
Ye  enter  at  this  ruined  shrine 

Whence  worship  ne'er  shall  rise  again; 
The  bat  and  owl  inhabit  here, 

The  snake  nests  in  the  altar-stone. 
The  sacred  vessels  moulder  near, 

The  image  of  the  God  is  gone." 

God's  Providence.  The  confidence  in  God's  providential 
care  expressed  by  the  psalmist  has  back  of  it  the  trust  of 
the  faithful  worshiper  of  God  of  his  day.  Men  then  be- 
lieved that  all  misfortune,  trouble,  and  sorrow  were  direct 
punishments  for  particular  sins.  It  took  firm  conviction 
and  strong  courage,  therefore,  to  believe  that  "righteous- 
ness pays,"  when  to  the  righteous  as  well  as  to  the  wicked 
came  alike  the  ordinary  experiences  of  life.  Sickness,  mis- 
fortune, hardship,  death — these  were  the  common  lot  of 
both  good  and  bad.  Would  it  not  be  an  easy  matter  to  join 
with  those  whose  doctrine  was  to  "eat,  drink,  and  be 
merry,''  to  seek  justification  for  fellowship  with  those  who 
from  the  Jews'  standard  of  righteousness  were  sinners,  men 
who  had  missed  the  mark  or  gone  astray  ?  In  the  next  step 
one  would  become  a  scoffer  at  the  religion  of  Jehovah.  It 
is  the  method  used  to-day  to  conceal  personal  sin. 

But  the  psalmist  thought  more  deeply  than  many  of  his  r 
contemporaries.  His  thinking  led  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  providence  of  God  is  not  an  arbitrary  matter,  governed 
by  whim  and  notion.  He  saw  back  of  it  all  the  great  laws 
of  God's  character.  He  realized  that  manifested  providence 
is  God's  stamp  on  what  life  has  brought  forth  for  judg- 
ment. He  noted  the  transitory  nature  of  any  advantage 
that  the  wicked  might  have  over  him.  He  rejoiced  that, 
while  at  times  it  might  seem  that  the  wicked  and  the  good 
are  blessed  alike,  it  is  not  so.  The  developing  life  of 
righteousness  has  a  happiness  and  contentment  of  which 
the  unrighteous  are  ignorant.  Providence  to  the  psalmist 
lay  in  ultimately  receiving  from  God  such  blessings  as 
his  life  merited  according  to  the  laws  of  God.  With  a 
growing  joy  in  his  knowledge  of  the  laws  that  lead  to 
fellowship  with  God  he  applied  this  knowledge  to  his  own 
development. 


22     HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 


By-Peoducts  of  Yesterday 

Growing  a  Character.  No  man  inherits  what  we  call 
'fcharacter.  Physical  characteristics  and  likenesses  are 
handed  down  from  parent  to  child.  Certain  tendencies  of 
strength  or  weakness,  mental  and  moral,  are  transmitted 
from  one  generation  to  another.  But  character  is  developed 
by  each  individual  life  itself.  Its  sources  are  found  in 
environment,  training,  and  education.  Everything  with 
which  we  come  in  contact  contributes  to  the  making  of  our 
character.  Every  person  who  in  any  way  touches  our  life 
has  a  part  in  making  us  what  we  are.  This  emphasizes 
the  wisdom  of  the  psalmist  in  avoiding  all  thought  and 
action  that  would  hinder  the  normal  development  of  good 
character.  It  was  not  the  sign  of  a  weakling  thus  to  do. 
He  was  a  strong  man  protecting  and  conserving  his 
strength.  For  he  did  not  merely  avoid  evil :  he  sought  the 
strengthening  sources  of  right.  His  fellowship  was  with 
God.  His  character  was  the  product  of  constructive  forces, 
and  the  wisdom  of  his  way  has  been  justified  by  the  ages. 
He  made  good,  and  we  profit  by  it. 

Habits  and  Destiny.  Those  people  who  lay  the  un- 
happy destiny  of  their  lives  at  the  door  of  some  unlucky 
star  under  which  they  were  born  are  mistaken.  We  are 
largely  the  makers  of  our  own  destinies.  The  laws  of  life 
are  open  to  us  all.  The  choice  of  life's  ending  is  placed 
in  our  own  hands.  But  it  is  vain  to  think  that  destiny  can 
be  decided  after  the  life  has  been  so  far  lived  out  that  the 
laws  of  life  have  been  violated.  The  single  actions  that 
lead  to  habits  make  the  mold  of  our  destiny. 

"One  deed  may  mar  a  life, 

And  one  can  make  it; 
Hold  firm  tliy  will  for  strife, 
Lest  a  quick  blow  break  It! 

"Even  now  from  far  on  viewless  wing 
Hither  speeds  the  nameless  thing 
Shall  put  thy  spirit  to  the  test. 

Haply  or  e'er  yon  sinking  sun 
Shall  drop  behind  the  purple  Weit, 

All  will  be  lost — or  won!" 


THE  DELIGHTS  OF  THE  RIGHTEOUS       £3 

So  sang  Richard  Watson  Gilder.  So  thouglit  the  psalmist, 
as  his  avoidance  of  evil  habits  proves.  And  so  we  know  as 
we  recount  the  experiences  of  the  years  that  have  given 
direction  to  the  life  that  we  now  are  living.  Indeed,  is 
it  not  this  knowledge  that  causes  us  to  counsel  our  children 
more  wisely  than  we  ourselves  have  lived  ?  Is  it  not  this 
that  starts  us  seeking  for  ourselves  the  joy  of  right  living 
for  the  days  that  remain  ? 

The  Approach  to  God.  The  psalmist  knew  the  joy  of 
fellowship  with  God.  We  also  may  know  that  fellowship 
if  we  will  commune  with  him.  Fellowship  is  established 
wherever  communion  is  sincere.  He  who  communes  with 
the  stars  has  a  fellowship  with  the  heavenly  bodies  of  which 
others  are  ignorant.  And  through  fellowship  comes  a 
knowledge  of  that  with  which  we  commune.  It  is  our 
growing  knowledge  of  God  that  enables  us  to  understand 
his  will.  In  making  this  plain  to  his  disciples  Jesus  once 
said,  "Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  the  things  which  I  com- 
mand you.  No  longer  do  I  call  you  servants ;  for  the  serv- 
ant knoweth  not  what  his  lord  doeth:  but  I  have  called 
you  friends;  for  all  things  that  I  heard  from  my  Father 
I  have  made  known  unto  you.'"  The  communion  which 
these  men  had  been  privileged  to  have  with  the  ]\Iaster  led 
directly  through  their  fellowship  to  a  fuller  knowledge  of 
God's  will.  This  same  opportunity  is  ours  to-day.  "I  am 
the  way,  and  the  truth,  and  the  life:  no  one  cometh  unto 
the  Father,  but  by  me,''  says  Jesus.  The  approach  to  God 
lies  open  before  us  all. 

What  About  To-day?  The  same  problem  the  psalmist 
faced  is  with  us  to-day.  Theological  terminology  does  not 
alter  truth.  Conditions  are  different.  We  scoff  at  religion, 
not  at  the  city  gate,  but  at  the  club,  in  the  office,  at  the 
shop.  We  counsel  with  the  wicked  in  renting  property  for 
immoral  purposes,  in  backing  vile  political  schemes,  in 
failing  to  see  what  goes  on  about  us.  We  stand  in  the  way 
of  sinners  and  excuse  ourselves  by  claiming  we  do  it  more 
artistically,  or  else  blame  it  to  our  temperament.  Yet 
righteousness  is  basically  the  same  in  all  ages.  Progress  is 
not  in  loosening  God's  laws.  It  is,  rather,  in  recognizing 
that  the  method  of  attaining  a  life  of  steadfast  righteous- 


24     HEAET  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

ness  changes,  because  of  changed  conditions  of  life  and  a 
fuller  revelation  of  God  in  succeeding  generations.  The 
requirement  of  the  righteousness  that  is  acceptable  to  God 
varies  as  man  comes  to  understand  more  clearly  God's  will 
for  his  children. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  becomes  richer  and  more 
complex  than  that  which  gave  happiness  to  the  ancient 
singer  in  Israel.  It  involves  all  that  is  epitomized  in  the 
words:  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength, 
and  with  all  thy  mind ;  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  Men 
are  still  finding  fuller  content  of  meaning  for  this  com- 
mandment. The  larger  outreach  of  soul  therein  implied 
brings  to  us  to-day  happiness  undreamed  of  by  those  of 
old.  But  we  find  this  happiness  only  as  we  discover  for 
ourselves  God's  will  for  us  as  individuals.  Those  who 
merely  study  road  maps  and  make  no  journeys  know  little 
■^of  the  joy  of  traveling.  To  know  the  way  of  righteousness 
and  then  not  to  walk  therein  gives  none  of  the  delights  to 
be  found  along  the  way.  The  happiness  of  the  psalmist 
will  be  for  us  simply  a  delightful  picture  of  a  good  man 
who  lived  in  the  past  if  we  fail  to  put  its  possibilities  into 
everyday  usage.  The  contentment  that  abides  must  come 
from  our  own  development.  And  spiritual  development 
is  dependent  upon  spiritual  practice.  The  appraisal  which 
God  puts  upon  our  lives  is  not  based  on  what  we  have 
heard,  or  think,  or  know,  but  on  our  daily  doing  of  his  will. 
"JSTot  everyone  that  saith  unto  me.  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will 
of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven."  Then  heed  the  call 
of  Frederic  Lawrence  Knowles,  to 

"Seize  thy  staff!  "beyond  this  height 
We  shall  find  the  Infinite  light! 
Gird  your  thigh!     This  sword  shall  hew 
Paths  that  reach  the  untroubled  blue! 
Though  dark  mountains  form  the  stair. 
It  is  ours  to  climb  and  dare! 
Law,  truth,  love — the  peaks  are  three; 
Sinai,  Olives,  Calvary!" 


I 


THE  DELIGHTS  OF  THE  RIGHTEOUS       25 

Questions  to  Think  About 

In  what  way  would  we  write  the  first  psalm  ? 

What  value  is  placed  upon  happiness  in  our  estimate  of 
things  ? 

Why  must  happiness  come  from  within  ? 

How  far  can  others  control  our  happiness  ? 

Is  it  always  possible  to  distinguish  between  the  good 
and  evil  in  life  ? 

What  happens  to  the  sinner  who  repents  late  in  life  ? 

What  reasons  do  people  often  give  for  not  avoiding  evil  ? 

Does  spiritual  life  develop  to  fruition,  or  is  it  freely 
given  ? 

What  does  life  hold  for  the  righteous  man? 

Do  the  outward  experiences  of  life  determine  our  status 
in  righteousness? 

Is  it  a  sign  of  weakness  to  shun  evil?  Do  we  gain 
strength  by  facing  it  ? 

What  is  the  strengthening  source  of  right  ? 

By  what  act  of  worship  have  we  found  the  ap^^roach  to 
God? 

What  questions  would  you  like  to  ask  about  this  psalm  ? 


CHAPTEE  II 

THE  INSPIEATION  TO  EEVERENCE 

additional  beading,  psalm  19 

The  Eighth  Psalm 

"O  Jehovah,  our  Lord, 

How  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth. 

Who  hast  set  thy  glory  upon  the  heavens! 

Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings  hast  thou  estab- 
lished strength, 

Because  of  thine  adversaries, 

That  thou  mightest  still  the  enemy  and  the  avenger. 

When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers, 

The  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast  ordained; 

What  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 

And  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him? 

For  thou  hast  made  him  but  little  lower  than  God, 

And  crownest  him  with  glory  and  honor. 

Thou  makest  him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of  thy 
hands; 

Thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet: 

All  sheep  and  oxen. 

Yea,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field, 

The  birds  of  the  heavens,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea. 

Whatsoever  passeth  through  the  paths  of  the  seas. 

O  Jehovah,  our  Lord, 

How  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  the  earth!" 

The  Basis  of  Eeverence 

Reverence  in  Daily  Life.  Neither  the  robes  of  ecclesias- 
ticism  nor  the  ermine  of  the  bench  of  themselves  cause  us 
to  pay  homage  to  a  small  soul  strutting  in  official  camou- 
flage. The  same  failure  to  be  revered  attends  the  "humble'' 
souls  of  the  Uriah  Heep  type.  No  one  exacts  reverence 
from  us  unless  they  possess  genuineness.  Hypocrisy  puts 
a  quirk  in  character  which  prevents  us  from  kotowing  to 
its  whited  sepulcher.  Burns  spoke  for  the  race  when  he 
cannily  remarked,  "The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp.'^ 

26 


THE  INSPIEATIO:^'  TO  REVERENCE  27 

Unless  those  qualities  exist  which  demand  respect  and 
esteem,  and  sometimes  an  element  of  awe  or  fear,  rever- 
ence on  our  part  is  entirely  lacking. 

It  is  because  of  this  that  men  speak  slightingly  of  others 
in  high  position.  There  has  not  been  a  sufficient  manifesta- 
tion of  noble  character  to  awaken  a  response.  Not  that 
men  do  not  desire  to  be  stirred  by  such  feelings.  They 
do.  The  finding  of  one  able  to  arouse  a  sense  of  reverence 
within  us  causes  rejoicing  and  satisfaction.  The  little 
group  of  friends  to  whom  we  tell  our  troubles  and  some 
whose  names  have  become  household  words  with  us,  meet 
our  requirements  in  this  respect.  We  think  and  speak  of 
them  reverently.  We  watch  them  with  loving  eyes.  We 
expect  them  to  do  great  things.  The  little  shrine  at  which 
we  revere  them  becomes  a  sacred  place  in  our  heart.  Out 
of  our  reverence  for  them  comes  a  keener  consciousness 
of  any  possibilities  of  fine  character  we  may  possess  our- 
selves. The  quest  for  other  folks  worthy  of  our  reverence 
becomes  an  adventure  of  expectation  and  interest.  That 
day  when  we  are  able  to  place  another  on  the  plane  of 
reverence  is  marked  off  in  our  list  of  events.  For  on  that 
day  there  comes  a  fresh  analysis  and  appraisal  of  ourselves. 

Reverence  for  God,  A  man  is  not  less  careful  in  com- 
ing to  an  attitude  of  reverence  for  God  than  he  is  in  com- 
ing to  such  an  attitude  toward  one  of  his  fellows.  It  is 
something  that  cannot  be  put  on  and  off  like  a  suit  of 
clothes.  It  is  a  part  of  one's  deepest  feelings.  Fear  smote 
the  heart  of  the  primitive  savage  as  he  thought  of  his  God. 
Like  a  small  boy  of  to-day  caught  stealing  apples,  he  ex- 
pected chastisement.  Reverence  had  no  place  in  his  thought 
of  God.  Only  the  increase  of  knowledge  set  esteem  along- 
side of  fear.  Of  course,  the  attributes  given  to  the  many 
gods  of  early  days  were  a  handicap  to  reverence.  It  took 
generations  of  experience  to  accumulate  material  upon 
which  to  base  a  fuller  knowledge  of  the  Infinite.  The 
meditation  of  such  men  as  the  psalmist  helped.  The  ex- 
pression of  the  psalm  indicates  the  mental  processes  in- 
volved. He  considered  that  reverence  for  God  needs  as 
sure  a  basis  as  reverence  for  neighbor  Obad  or  Hczekiah. 
Assured  of  the  worthiness  of  his  God  to  be  revered,  he 


28     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

gives  full  meed  of  the  best  his  heart  contains.  Nay,  more, 
he  thinks  within  by  contrast  and  makes  a  fresh  start  at 
measuring  up  to  all  that  he  might  be. 

Among  the  Stars.  Did  you  ever  pitch  your  tent  on  the 
summit  of  a  high  mountain?  If  so,  you  know  the  poet 
who  wrote  the  eighth  psalm.  The  crowded  streets  and  the 
careworn  faces  of  the  city  seem  far  away  in  the  quiet  night. 
The  folly  of  watching  the  stock-market  ticker  is  of  another 
world.  The  climbers  up  society's  shaky  ladder  seem  only 
hectic  fiction.  All  that  is  real  is  the  strange  sense  of 
aloneness  with  the  stars.  The  psalmist  knew  the  sanctity 
of  this  sort  of  atmosphere.  The  affairs  of  life  that  loom 
so  large  down  in  the  valley  are  seen  in  a  new  perspective 
here.  What  matters  it  whether  the  Joneses  invite  us  to 
their  select  dinner  party?  Who  cares  whether  the 
preacher  shook  hands  with  the  Smiths  before  noticing  us  ? 
And  the  fact  that  Byron  climbed  to  his  present  job  by 
tramping  over  our  shoulders — what  of  it  ?  Man  seems  not 
so  important  a  creature  or  the  leading  styles  so  heavy  a 
part  of  life's  burden.  Folks  look  like  crawling  things  on 
the  dimly  lit  road  at  the  base  of  the  mountain.  The  stars 
alone  are  great.  And  out  of  the  gleam  of  millions  of  stars 
and  the  soft  glow  of  the  moon  comes  the  startling  thought 
of  God  who  created  it  all.  All  our  knowledge  of  God  comes 
to  mind  with  a  rush  when  he  speaks  to  us  at  such  times. 
We  review  every  known  manifestation  of  his  power  and 
goodness.  And  whether  we  are  dollar  chasers  of  the 
twentieth  century  or  an  ancient  watcher  on  an  Eastern  hill- 
top, we  are  bound  to  cry : 

"O  Jehovah,  our  Lord, 

How  excellent  is  thy  name  In  all  the  earth, 
Who  hast  set  thy  glory  upon  the  heavens!" 

Some  Ancient  Thinking 

Jehovah  God.  The  name  "Jehovah"  is  not  a  familiar 
name  for  God  to  most  people.  Only  during  the  past  ten 
years  has  the  term  been  used  at  all  widely.  But  to  the 
patriarchs  whose  life  history  we  read  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment it  was  the  name  above  all  others.    When  God  made 


THE  INSPIEATION  TO  REVERENCE  29 

a  covenant  with  Abraham  he  gave  his  name  as  "Jehovah" 
to  this  ancient  sheik.  At  first  the  name  had  only  such 
meaning  as  Abraham's  conception  of  God  could  put  into 
it.  It  took  the  passing  years  and  the  ever-increasing  re- 
lationships of  the  Israelites  with  God  to  deepen  its  mean- 
ing. Just  so  the  name  "Father''  means  merely  the  man 
who  "gets  things"  for  us  in  childhood.  The  realization 
that  he  also  watches  over  us,  protects  us,  guides  us,  and 
instructs  us  comes  with  the  years.  That  he  helps  us  out 
of  his  own  experience  to  grapple  with  the  problems  of  life 
is  frequently  unrecognized  until  the  years  of  maturity 
prove  him  to  be  comrade  and  friend.  David  knew  a 
greater  Jehovah  than  did  Abraham.  When  the  psalmist 
sang  forth  his  reverence  for  the  Creator  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  Jehovah  had  become  a  part  of  Israel.  So  close  is 
this  relationship  that  Israel's  enemies  are  thought  of  as 
Jehovah's  enemies,  and  Israel's  friends  the  friends  of  God. 
Yet  what  babes  in  the  universe  are  men  compared  with 
the  stars?  Why  should  Jehovah  wage  his  warfare  through 
the  instrumentality  of  men  ?  Why  trouble  to  subdue  those 
who  oppose  him?  A  little  thinking  of  this  sort  in  these 
days  of  world-chaos  would  be  refreshing.  For  in  some 
places  men  have  appeared  to  be  endeavoring  to  wage  war, 
subdue  enemies,  and  establish  themselves  in  the  earth 
through  the  instrumentality  of  God,  instead  of  permit- 
ting themselves  to  be  used  by  God. 

The  Universe  of  the  Ancients.  The  modern  schoolboy 
has  some  difficulty  in  understanding  how  anyone  ever  could 
have  thought  the  earth  a  flat  disk.  And  to  insist  on  his 
thinking  of  the  sky  as  a  solid  covering,  studded  with  stars, 
with  here  and  there  a  window  through  which  rain  came 
when  opened,  would  cause  him  to  challenge  the  intellect  of 
the  one  making  the  suggestion.  Such  a  universe,  however, 
was  the  one  known  to  the  psalmist.  A  moon  swung  across 
the  sky,  and  each  night  the  sun  returned  around  the  out- 
skirts of  the  earth  in  order  to  be  ready  for  the  next  day's 
journey.  Yet  with  such  a  conception,  the  glory  of  it  all 
was  great  enough  to  inspire  reverence  for  the  One  able 
to  create  it.  And  the  psalmist  gave  credit  for  it  all  to  his 
God,  Jehovah.     Not  yet  freed  from  the  influence  of  the 


30     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

anthropomorpllic  conceptions  of  his  fathers,  he  heheld  God 
filing  each  star  in  its  permanent  position  and  starting  the 
moon  on  its  mission  of  light.  The  writer  did  not  know 
all  that  we  know  about  the  stars,  but  his  mountainside  was 
aglow  with  the  same  glory  that  floods  our  mountain  camp. 
His  knowledge  of  the  universe  was  pitifully  limited,  but 
the  wonder  of  it  all  was  just  the  same.  And  a  God  able 
to  create  such  wonderful  works  was  worthy  of  his  esteem 
and  reverence.  It  set  him  to  thinking.  One  thought 
rushed  close  after  the  other.  The  stories  of  Jehovah's  care 
told  by  his  father  and  the  other  older  men  were  all  recalled. 
What  he  had  observed  himself  came  to  his  mind.  Jehovah, 
the  God  of  Abraham,  the  G^d  of  Jacob,  and  the  God  of 
Isaac,  was  a  wonderful  God.  He  was  the  God  of  his  fathers. 
Aye,  he  was  his  God  also.  And  Jehovah  held  all  these 
starry  hosts  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand.  A  man  might  well 
stand  erect  and  stretch  to  his  full  height  who  has  such  a 
God  as  Jehovah.  How  much  more  cause  have  we  both  to 
reverence  God  and  make  ours  the  kinship  he  offers  to  us. 
"What  Is  Man  ?"  It  was  no  small  question  of  speculative 
philosophy  that  followed  the  psalmist's  meditation  on  the 
wonders  of  the  heavens.  He  was  thinking  chiefly  about 
God.  What  majesty  and  power  God  must  have  to  do  such 
work !  It  was  almost  beyond  his  power  to  conceive  of  it. 
But  difficult  as  comprehending  so  great  a  God  as  Jehovah 
was,  it  was  even  more  difficult  to  understand  why  such 
a  God  should  give  so  important  a  place  in  his  universe  to 
men.  The  value  placed  on  a  human  life  in  the  days  of 
David  was  not  great.  The  individual  was  merged  in  the 
community.  And  the  welfare  of  the  community  always 
came  before  the  welfare  of  the  individual.  An  individual 
life,  yes,  many  individual  lives,  might  be  wiped  out  without 
much  concern  on  the  part  of  those  left.  Yet  the  dignity 
of  human  life  was  made  plainer  when  the  psalmist  realized 
that  the  Creator  of  the  starry  heavens  also  was  mindful 
of  man.  The  human  race  was  important  in  God's  sight. 
Man  had  been  made  in  the  very  image  of  God.  Spiritual 
possibilities  within  stirred  him  to  things  far  beyond  mere 
earthly  aims  and  worldly  honors.  Above  the  physical  was 
rising  the  intellectual.    And  with  the  development  of  man's 


THE  INSPIRATION  TO  REVERENCE  31 

mind  there  was  also  developing  a  fuller  kinship  with  God. 
The  honor  and  glory  with  which  man  was  crowned  in  the 
days  of  our  psalm  may  seem  to  he  of  slight  value  compared 
to  the  glory  and  honor  that  man  has  received  from  God 
since  then — but  the  psalmist  made  his  comparison  with 
his  earlier  days,  and  his  conclusion  was  fully  as  significant 
as  are  our  own. 

Estimating  Values.  The  place  which  man  holds  in  the 
scheme  of  things  is  as  varied  as  the  knowledge  which  he 
possesses.  The  cow  may  have  an  equal  importance  with 
a  playmate  in  the  eyes  of  a  little  child.  Only  added  years 
and  increased  knowledge  makes  possible  a  correct  differen- 
tiation. It  is  so  with  all  things  and  all  people.  And  men 
as  a  race  were  children  once.  What  we  call  the  lower 
animals — 

"All  sheep  and  oxen, 
Yea,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field, 
The  birds  of  the  heavens,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea," 

stood  on  the  same  plane  with  man  to  our  primitive 
ancestors.  But  as  century  succeeded  century  man's  knowl- 
edge increased.  As  knowledge  increased  and  man  grasped 
its  significance  he  revised  the  relative  values  that  he  placed 
on  things.  His  attitude  toward  the  world  and  all  that  it 
contains  changed.  He  saw  a  difference  between  mere 
animals  and  himself.  This  new  viewpoint  helped  him  to 
become  the  master  of  the  creatures  round  about  him.  He 
began  to  discover  himself  and  to  estimate  more  accurately 
his  place  in  the  universe.  And  by  the  psalmist's  time  man 
stands  preeminently  master  of  all  other  animate  beings. 
The  psalmist  goes  even  further  than  this.  He  finds  in  God 
the  reason  for  man's  supremacy.  "Thou  hast  made  him 
but  little  lower  than  God/'  he  softly  whispered.  What  did 
the  psalmist  mean?  David's  God  was  akin  to  the  God  of 
the  twenty-third  psalm,  the  God  Jehovah  whom  Israel 
knew  in  that  day.  Therefore  man  was  a  creature  of  dignity 
and  worth,  reverencing  a  God  mighty  enough  to  shape  in 
flesh  and  blood  a  race  with  character  possibilities  like  his 
own.  God  has  been  the  same  throughout  the  ages.  But 
back  in  the  days  of  the  childhood  of  the  race,  men  thought 


32     HEAKT  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

of  God  and  understood  him  as  children  do.  As  the  race 
has  matured  and  man's  mind  has  matured  with  its  ever 
increasing  knowledge  as  the  result  of  the  great  variety  of 
human  experience,  God  has  become  a  vastly  different 
Being.  What  has  happened  in  our  day  to  throw  back 
parts  of  the  race  to  savagery  and  paganism,  having  little 
reverence  for  God  and  none  for  a  human  being  ? 

Among  Oueselves 

Our  Starry  Heavens.  The  Creator  of  the  starry  heavens 
into  which  the  psalmist  gazed  was  great  and  powerful  and 
worthy.  How  much  more  so  is  he  when  we  consider  the 
starry  heavens  of  our  own  meditation  ?  Within  the  last  few 
years  a  larger  view  of  the  heavens  has  been  secured.  By 
means  of  a  new  process  with  stronger  lenses  than  had 
heretofore  been  used  some  sixty  thousand  stars  never  before 
known  have  been  caught  upon  a  photographic  plate.  This 
gives  to  the  world  a  larger  conception  of  the  magnitude  of 
the  universe.  It  pushes  the  boundaries  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  heavens  out  millions  of  miles.  It  makes  necessary 
a  readjustment  of  many  notions  in  astronomy.  With  a 
great  hundred-inch  lens,  three  times  larger  than  any  used 
before  it  was  made,  the  astronomer  expects  to  make  our 
evening  walk  among  the  stars  a  new  one  altogether.  It 
is  a  long  journey  in  thought  from  an  earth  stretched  flat 
with  a  heaven  domed  over  it  to  the  earth  which  we  know 
to-day,  humbly  whirling  on  its  axis  as  it  swings  year  by 
year  about  the  sun.  A  very  minor  body  among  the  great 
is  our  earth,  and  our  knowledge  that  it  is  so  gives  an  added 
intensity  to  the  wonder  of  the  psalmist  when,  gazing  out 
into  the  night  from  his  hilltop  vantage  point,  he  cried : 

"When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers. 
The  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast  ordained; 
What  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
And  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him? 
For  thou  hast  made  him  but  little  lower  than  God, 
And  crownest  him  with  glory  and  honor." 

Our  wonder  grows  as  we  realize  not  only  that  the  universe 
is  so  beyond  our  grasp,  but  also  that  the  spiritual  kingdom 
of  the  Creator  of  all,  of  which  we  are  a  part  through  being 


THE  mSPIEATION  TO  EEVERENCE  33 

made  in  his  own  image,  is  greater  in  extent  and  power  and 
possibilities  than  our  creeds  and  prayers  ever  credit. 

A  New  Revelation  of  God.  The  psalmist's  conception 
of  God  falls  much  below  ours  of  to-day.  The  years  have 
added  to  man's  knowledge  of  God.  Now  and  then  there 
has  lived  a  man  who  ventured  beyond  his  fellows  and 
caught  a  closer  glimpse  of  his  Maker.  This  he  reflected  to 
those  of  his  time,  and  they  tried  being  Godlike.  But  at 
best  it  was  a  poor  conception  of  God  that  man  had  until 
Jesus  Christ  walked  upon  earth.  He  put  the  generaliza- 
tions of  the  learned  into  the  concrete  forms  of  common  life. 
His  ministry  drew  God  from  the  skies  to  the  marketplace, 
the  field,  and  the  home.  Reverence  for  God  came  to  be 
based  not  only  on  the  wonders  of  the  universe,  but  also 
on  the  power  of  his  Spirit  in  human  lives.  The  spiritual 
universe  became  real  in  the  manifested  practice  of  its  prin- 
ciples among  men.  The  revelation  which  Jesus  gave  of  God 
and  of  life's  realities  was  as  undreamed  of  when  Hebrew 
psalmists  sang  as  were  the  new-found  stars  along  the  milky 
way.  People  to-day  seek  the  majesty  and  goodness  of  God 
in  the  lives  of  those  who  have  had  fellowship  with  Christ. 
Their  questions  of  theology  are  answered  in  the  attitude 
of  Christians  in  business  deals.  They  find  the  argument 
for  or  against  Christianity  in  their  next-door  neighbor.  In 
the  place  of  a  creed  to  recite  they  seek  a  life  to  live.  And 
the  new  revelation  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ  makes  it  possible 
for  them  to  find  God  through  men  and  women  whose  spirit 
as  well  as  name  is  Christian.  The  clear  reflecting  of  the 
spirit  of  Jesus  Christ  dispels  all  desire  for  argument  and 
inspires  to  that  state  of  mind  which  prays, 

"Just  as  I  am,  without  one  plea, 
But  that  thy  blood  was  shed  for  me. 
And  that  thou  bidd'st  me  come  to  thee, 
0  Lamb  of  God,  I  come." 

Acquired  Honor  and  Glory.  Honor  and  glory  because 
of  God's  goodness  to  men  does  not  satisfy  live  folks  of 
to-day.  Biology  has  taught  man  how  he  is  made  and  has 
given  to  him  more  adequate  knowledge  for  the  care  and 
use  of  his  body.    Psychology  has  surveyed  the  mind  and 


34     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

laid  bare  the  secrets  of  intellectual  progress.  The  physical 
sciences  have  placed  in  the  hands  of  man  power  almost 
unbelievable.  He  stands  not  merely  preeminent  among  the 
animate  creations  of  God,  he  is  also  master  of  the  inani- 
mate. He  gives  life  to  the  slumbering  powers  of  earth  and 
sky,  and  controls  them  for  his  daily  use,  comfort,  and 
happiness.  Yet,  with  all  this,  he  craves  that  honor  which 
fellowship  with  God  alone  can  give.  A  larger  vision  fills 
the  meditation  of  the  watcher  of  the  stars  to-day  than  the 
psalmist  knew.  He  has  seen  the  God  of  man  and  things 
through  the  intimate  eyes  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  in  that 
new  vital  knowledge  he  has  caught  a  fresh  sense  of  the 
worthiness  of  God  to  the  profoundest  reverence.  For  fel- 
lowship with  Jesus  Christ  gives  a  new  viewpoint  for  ap- 
praising God's  power  and  love  and  man's  relationship  to 
him.  As  man  comes  to  view  himself  in  the  light  of  this 
larger  relationship  his  reverence  for  God  increases.  And 
that  which  is  the  greatest  element  in  inspiring  reverence 
for  God  is  man's  own  knowledge  of  the  power  of  God  of 
developing  through  Christ  that  image  in  which  he  himself 
is  born — such  a  likeness  to  God  that  it  is  recognized  by 
his  brother  men. 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

What  is  the  basis  for  reverence? 

What  have  reverence  for  man  and  God  in  common  ? 

In  what  way  did  the  psalmist  express  his  reverence  for 
God? 

How  did  the  ancient  conception  of  the  universe  influ- 
ence the  way  in  which  he  expressed  it? 

How  has  increased  knowledge  brought  fuller  content  to 
the  psalmist's  song? 

To  what  extent  does  our  conception  of  God  enrich  life 
more  fully  than  that  of  the  psalmist  ? 

How  does  man  acquire  his  important  place  in  the  uni- 
verse ? 

How  does  Jesus's  revelation  of  "the  Father"  affect  our 
conception  of  God? 

What  part  have  we  in  developing  reverence  for  God  in 
those  who  know  not  fellowship  with  Jesus  Christ? 


CHAPTER  III 

A  SENSE  OF  GOD^S  BOUNTIFUL  CARE 

additional  beading,  psalm  145 

The  Twenty-Thied  Psalm 

"Jehovah  is  my  shepherd ;  I  shall  not  want. 
He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures; 
He  leadeth  me  beside  still  waters. 
He  restoreth  my  soul: 
He  guideth  me  in  the  paths  of  righteousness  for  his  name's 

sake. 
Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 

death, 
I  will  fear  no  evil;  for  thou  art  with  me; 
Thy  rod  and  thy  staff,  they  comfort  me. 
Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine 

enemies; 
Thou  hast  anointed  my  head  with  oil; 
My  cup  runneth  over. 
Surely  goodness  and  lovingkindness  shall  follow  me  all  the 

days  of  my  life; 
And  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house  of  Jehovah  for  ever." 

A  Shepheed's  Meditations 

Goat  Philosophy.  The  goat  element  in  a  man  predomi- 
nates in  the  atmosphere  of  modern  life.  Pushed  by  the 
ceaseless  round  of  business,  patriotic  demands  and  social 
duties,  he  plunges  forward  day  after  day  breaking  open 
pathways  into  pastures  he  knows  not.  The  idea  of  leader- 
ship leaves  little  opportunity  for  thoughts  of  being  led. 
"He  wins  who  puts  it  over,"  is  the  prevailing  slogan.  The 
result  is  too  often  a  browsing  in  the  vacant  lots  of  intellect 
and  emotion  where  discarded  garments  predominate  over 
that  which  might  nourish  a  soul.  The  wild  forcing  one's 
>vay  to  a  place  ahead  of  one's  fellows  frequently  leads  to 

35 


36     HEAET  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

an  isolation  and  loneliness  of  life  that  cries  out  for  some 
voice  to  guide.  And  in  the  experiences  of  life  which 
demonstrate  the  human  limitations  of  the  most  efficient 
there  is  a  yearning  to  be  led  as  a  sheep  by  a  shepherd,  to 
have  a  care  manifested  for  the  needs  which  goat  philosophy 
fails  to  provide.  It  is  at  such  times  that  the  shepherd's 
psalm  sings  itself  into  the  heart  with  a  new  tune — the 
quiet,  assuring  tune  used  by  a  mother  to  lull  her  child  to 
sleep. 

Why  Not  Sheep?  Out  on  the  open  hillside  the  psalm- 
ist's joy  in  God  as  his  shepherd  becomes  concrete.  Here 
the  dangers  to  the  flock  and  the  need  of  the  sheep  are 
apparent.  The  watchful  shepherd  with  his  unwearying 
care  of  his  charges  becomes  a  figure  of  importance.  The 
poetic  relationship  between  shepherd  and  sheep  suddenly 
becomes  real.  The  song  is  from  a  page  of  life.  The  min- 
istry of  a  man  who  knows  the  needs  of  those  who  trust  in 
him  looms  up  as  a  part  of  the  scheme  of  things.  The 
ninety  and  nine  and  the  one  lost  lamb  cease  to  be  parable 
and  exist  as  fact.  There  is  a  strange  new  significance  in 
the  idea  of  a  Good  Shepherd.  We  recognize  the  glory  of 
just  being  sheep  and,  with  the  psalmist,  cry  most  rever- 
ently: "I  need  a  shepherd.  My  shepherd  is  Jehovah, 
God." 

A  Page  from  a  Shepherd's  Meditations.  The  long  days 
and  nights  on  the  hills  of  Palestine  had  been  more  than 
hours  of  wage-earning  to  the  singer  of  our  psalm.  Like 
all  great  poetry,  his  song  grew  out  of  a  life  of  service.  And 
out  of  the  service  which  he  had  rendered  to  the  sheep 
had  come  a  great  reward.  The  task  which  he  had  done 
so  faithfully  had  enlarged  his  vision.  The  battles  with 
the  beasts  that  had  sought  food  from  his  flock  had  endeared 
the  flock  to  him.  The  searching  for  tender  grass  and 
sweet,  cool  springs  had  emphasized  to  him  the  helpless- 
ness of  his  dumb  charges.  The  foolish  straying  from  the 
paths  of  safety  had  taught  him  how  much  they  needed  a 
guide.  And  the  bruises  and  the  scratches  and  the  frequent 
rescue  from  certain  death  dignified  his  importance  in  the 
lives  of  the  sheep  who  knew  not  how  well  they  were  being 
watched  over  and  protected.     With  his  flock  asleep  he 


A  SENSE  OF  GOD'S  BOUNTIFUL  CARE      37 

studied  the  heavens  and  thought  upon  his  experiences. 
Did  not  the  sheep,  whether  they  knew  it  or  not,  need  a 
shepherd?  Must  not  a  shepherd,  to  be  of  actual  service, 
know  and  understand  his  sheep?  They  were  a  foolish 
flock.  Until  they  learned  his  voice  and  became  accustomed 
to  his  ways  they  were  hard  to  lead.  Time  and  patience 
counted,  though.  After  the  weeks  they  trusted  him  and 
trailed  along  after  him.  To  him  they  looked  for  food 
and  water.  They  seemed  to  know  that  he  would  lead  them 
to  some  cool  spot  for  rest  when  the  midday  sun  burned 
hot.  And  he  knew  his  sheep.  How  like  his  God,  this 
shepherding!  What  more  natural,  then,  that  he  be  fired 
with  a  new  vision  of  Jehovah — a  God  to  whom  his  people 
were  as  sheep  of  a  trusty  shepherd  ? 

A  Light  in  the  East,  Day  breaks  with  added  glory  in 
human  experience  when  one  awakens  to  a  new  life-relation- 
ship. Everything  takes  on  new  significance.  Things  past 
gain  fresh  interpretation.  Future  hopes  lay  hold  of  greater 
possibilities.  Life  centers  around  a  new  point.  The 
recognizing  of  the  similarity  in  relationship  between  God 
and  the  psalmist  and  the  shepherd  and  his  sheep  explained 
many  things  to  the  happy  singer.  Suddenly  he  realized 
how  constant  is  God's  care.  With  assurance  he  could  say, 
"I  shall  not  want.^^  For  if  he  would  go  to  any  extreme 
of  danger  for  the  sake  of  his  flock,  would  not  God  do  as 
much  for  him  ?  '^ Jehovah  is  my  shepherd."  What  a  new 
meaning  to  life!  What  a  point  around  which  to  center 
life's  hopes  and  fears,  its  ambitions  and  perplexities,  its 
joys  and  sorrows !  Across  the  horizon  a  new  figure  stood 
silhouetted.  The  skyline  had  become  animate.  Could  it 
be  that  man  might  follow  a  Shepherd's  call  as  did  his 
sheep  ? 

The  Shepherding  of  God.  Wisdom,  strength,  and 
authority  are  essential  to  genuine  leadership,  whether  it 
be  of  sheep  or  men.  Wise  men  are  needed  to  plan,  to 
counsel,  and  to  guide.  Strong  men  are  necessary  to  stand 
the  storm.  Such  strength  is  not  merely  the  ability  to  with- 
stand the  storm  oneself.  There  is  the  larger  need  of 
bringing  the  flock  of  people  safely  through,  their  trust  but 
temporarily  shaken,  firm  and  sure.     Of  such  a  character 


38     HEAET  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

is  the  shepherding  of  God.  The  psalmist  puts  it  in  terms 
of  his  own  experience.  Pastures  green  with  needed  nour- 
ishment are  provided.  Waters  for  refreshment  and  rest 
are  sought  out  when  the  strife  grows  too  intense.  Out  into 
the  complex  roads  of  life  the  Shepherd  leads  the  tired 
soul.  One  does  not  have  to  seek  the  way  alone.  The 
Shepherd  guides.  Moral  and  spiritual  discernment  is  not 
very  keen  when  one  seeks  the  way  of  life  without  a  guide. 
The  way  appears  not  always  to  be  a  traveled  path  to  him 
who  sees  it  for  the  first  time.  He  fain  would  hesitate  for 
fear  the  Shepherd  blunder  and  lead  astray.  And  that 
would  be  bad  for  the  traveler.  But  the  psalmist  does  not 
stop  at  the  thought  of  what  the  Shepherd's  failure  might 
mean  to  the  traveler.  To  the  psalmist's  mind  failure 
means  more  to  the  Shepherd  than  to  the  traveler.  Long 
since  the  God  of  Israel  had  declared : 

"Jehovah,  Jehovah,  a  God  merciful  and  gracious,  slow  to 
anger,  and  abundant  in  lovingkindness  and  truth;  keeping 
lovingkindness  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity  and  trans- 
gression and  sin.'' 

He  knows  the  paths  of  righteousness  which  he  himself  has 
made.  And  to  prove  himself  such  as  he  has  declared  him- 
self to  be,  he  will  lead  men  in  the  paths  of  peace. 

"The  King  of  love  my  Shepherd  is. 

Whose  goodness  faileth  never; 
I  nothing  lack  if  I  am  his, 
And  he  is  mine  forever." 

Sheep  Experience 

Just  Sheep,  It  is  inconceivable  to-day  that  God  should 
have  any  other  attitude  toward  the  well-being  of  man  than 
that  indicated  by  Jesus  in  his  parable  of  the  lost  sheep. 
God  made  man  in  his  own  image.  He  gave  to  him  the 
capacity  for  possessing  those  qualities  of  life  which  have 
made  beautiful  the  lives  of  those  who  have  carefully  ob- 
served the  laws  of  the  highest  human  development.  The 
wise  life  of  a  righteous  man  is  a  vindication  of  his  creation. 


A  SENSE  OF  GOD'S  BOUNTIFUL  CARE      39 

But  God  did  not  make  him  an  automaton.  In  the  capacity 
involved  in  "the  image  of  God"  he  left  a  real  need  for 
divine  care  and  guidance.  When  man  wanders  away  it 
is  this  need  that  ultimately  proves  to  be  the  point  of  con- 
tact by  means  of  which  God  brings  him  back.  Before  this 
point  of  contact  is  reached,  however,  God  seeks  for  weary 
hours.  And  this  not  that  he  may  locate  the  man  or  woman 
who  has  wandered,  but  that  he  may  so  adjust  the  multi- 
tude of  circumstances  that  approach  may  be  possible  to  the 
heart  of  the  individual.  Jesus  was  doing  this  very  thing 
when  the  Jews  raised  an  objection.  Had  they  given  the 
matter  a  little  unprejudiced  thought,  they  would  have  re- 
called the  fact  that  their  own  Scriptures,  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, both  showed  the  significance  of  human  life  and  gave 
utterance  to  the  people's  avowed  recognition  of  Jehovah 
as  their  Shepherd,  and  as  a  Shepherd,  too,  who  was  owner 
as  well. 

Bypaths  and  Pitfalls.  The  stretch  of  the  pathway  of  life 
seen  at  any  one  time  is  very  short.  Fair  traveling  sud- 
denly runs  into  almost  impassable  territory,  and  a  hard, 
rocky  bit  of  the  journey  frequently  opens  into  delightful 
vistas  of  easy  going.  The  blinding  dust  and  burning  sweat 
of  a  desert  mile  ends  in  an  oasis  of  rest  and  comfort.  The 
uncertainty  of  the  way  leads  to  overassurance  of  a  knowl- 
edge of  it.  A  few  good  guesses  develop  dangerous  self- 
confidence.  Physical  satisfaction  is  sought  in  fields  whose 
yield  is  poisonous.  Mental  excursions  into  attractive  by- 
paths shut  out  from  sight  the  faithful  Guide.  And  reli- 
gious experiments  pitch  us  headlong  into  pits  from  which 
we  are  lifted  through  the  humiliation  of  contrition  and 
forgiveness.  The  "blazings"  of  some  men  lead  other  men 
astray  long  after  those  who  marked  the  way  are  once  more 
safely  on  the  high  road.  It  is  no  poetic  fancy  that  finds 
expression  in  the  psalmist's  song.  That  God  leads  implies 
the  need  of  leading.  The  decision  of  life-plans  is  often 
unwisely  made  because  of  failure  to  recognize  God's  will. 
Business  deals  go  to  smavsh  when  the  righteousness  of  God 
is  ignored.  Hearts  break  with  grief  if  the  comfort  and 
guidance  of  God  are  overlooked.  Human  sheep  need  the 
same  wise  shepherding  that  all  sheep  need  to  have.    This 


40     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

the  singer  of  later  years  knew  well  when  he  added  to  the 
psalmist^s  utterance  the  experience  of  the  ages : 

"He  leadeth  me!    O  blessed  thought! 
O  words  with  heavenly  comfort  fraught! 
Whate'er  I  do,  where'er  I  be, 
Still  'tis  God's  hand  that  guideth  me." 

The  Psalm  in  Life.  All  ages  find  help  and  comfort  in 
the  shepherd^s  psalm.  From  childhood  on  to  old  age  it 
gives  the  message  that  is  timely  and  fit.  As  the  years  in- 
crease the  psalm  gathers  to  itself  all  the  rich  experiences 
of  one^s  life,  to  give  them  back  with  new  and  finer  meaning 
as  each  need  arises.  And  it  takes  years  of  experience  to 
grasp  fully  its  deepest  significance  and  joy.  Two  little 
boys — one  three,  one  five — one  day  were  taught  the  psalm 
in  Sunday  school.  And  they  understood  it  as  well  as  boys 
of  their  age  were  capable.  They  went  home  and  brought 
out  the  red  NoaVs  ark.  Quickly  sorting  out  the  crude 
wooden  animals,  they  selected  two  with  cotton  pasted  on 
them.  These  were  the  sheep  of  the  da/s  lesson.  The  green 
rug  was  the  pasture.  The  black  iron  register  was  the  still 
water.  Their  exposition  of  the  psalm  was  true  to  their 
own  life-experience.  And  to  that  experience  it  ministered. 
The  boys  grew  to  manhood.  They  married,  built  homes, 
and  had  children.  Then,  in  the  prime  of  life,  fatal  illness 
struck  down  the  younger  brother.  The  last  night  was 
passed  by  these  two  men  together.  The  one,  strong  and 
vigorous,  sat  by  the  bed  on  which  the  other  lay  wasted  and 
weak.  They  talked  of  those  things  of  which  brothers  talk 
at  such  a  time.  And  then  they  talked  of  the  twenty-third 
psalm.  But  the  psalm  did  not  speak  to  them  of  toy  sheep 
that  night.  They  had  lived  many  years  and  had  gone 
through  varied  experiences  since  they  first  heard  its  mes- 
sage. They  had  grown  to  be  men.  And  the  psalm  had 
grown  with  them.  Its  message  on  this  last  night  together 
before  the  one  should  know  the  meaning  of  the  shepherd- 
ing and  the  other  should  wait  and  wonder,  was : 

"Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
I  will  fear  no  evil;  for  thou  art  with  me; 
Thy  rod  and  thy  staff,  they  comfort  me." 


A  SENSE  OF  GOD'S  BOUNTIFUL  CARE      41 

They  had  followed  the  Shepherd  on  the  hills  and  through 
the  valleys.  They  had  found  him  bountiful  in  his  care 
through  the  experiences  which  they  understood  in  part. 
Now  they  trusted  him  fully  for  that  part  of  the  journey 
which  went  down  through  a  path  known  only  to  those  who 
had  traversed  it — and  to  the  Guide.  For  they  felt  assured 
that  He  would  lead  to  fields  beyond  the  thought  of  human 
mind. 

The  Valley  of  Fear.  Every  life  has  its  valley  of  fear. 
And  it  is  not  always  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  for 
to  countless  thousands  the  open  tomb  and  the  risen  Christ 
have  forever  dispelled  the  shadow  of  that  valley.  But  there 
remains  to  many  even  of  these  the  fear  of  the  tragedies 
of  life:  sorrow,  misfortune,  broken  homes,  shattered  am- 
bitions, ruined  health,  years  of  physical  suffering  and 
agony.  There  is  also  the  valley  which  spiritual  cowardice 
dreads.  To  those  obsessed  with  this  fear  comes  the  un- 
willingness to  venture  into  larger  experiences,  lest,  per- 
chance, the  foothold  already  secured  be  lost.  The  possi- 
bility of  God's  failure  to  come  up  to  the  faith  which  would 
send  them  on  into  a  fuller  joy  of  life  forever  holds  them 
back.  They  dread  a  separation  from  God  which  might 
result  from  testing  the  experimental  opportunities  of  the 
spiritual  life.  Such  valleys  of  fear  are  present  constantly. 
The  consequence  is  a  halting  life  that  makes  but  little 
progress.  It  is  unable  to  leave  that  which  it  possesses  for 
the  larger  possibilities  of  that  which  it  might  obtain.  But 
to  those  who  know  the  Guide  in  whom  the  shepherd  trusted 
there  is  no  such  fear.  They  go  forward  with  Robert 
Browning,  singing, 

"Then,  welcome  each  rebuff 
That  turns  earth's  smoothness  rough, 
Each  sting  that  bids  nor  sit  nor  stand,  but  go! 
Be  our  Joys  three-parts  pain! 
Strive,  and  hold  cheap  the  strain; 
Learn,  nor  account  the  pang;  dare,  never  grudge 
the  throe!" 

Being  Shepherded.  As  one  reads  the  experience  de- 
scribed in  the  twenty-third  psalm  his  whole  nature  yearns 
for  the  joy  of  its  writer,  and  he  forthwith  declares  that 


42     HEART  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

he  too  will  have  that  psalm  written  large  in  his  life.  The 
thought  of  Jehovah's  watching  over  him,  providing  for  his 
wants,  protecting  him  in  time  of  trouble,  relieving  him  in 
seasons  of  distress,  makes  a  strong  appeal.  And  well  it 
may.  For  who  would  not  share  in  the  ancient  poet's  sense 
of  utter  dependence  upon  One  able  to  do  all  things  ?  But 
being  shepherded  demands  more  than  all  this.  It  has  in 
its  very  nature  claims  upon  the  one  shepherded.  One 
must  be  known  as  a  member  of  the  flock.  He  may  not  live 
his  Christian  life  unrelated  to  his  fellow  Christians.  He 
must  partake  of  such  food  as  seems  wise  in  the  mind  of  the 
Shepherd.  He  must  be  willing  to  be  led  where  pastures 
are  green  and  waters  quiet  and  refreshing.  Straight  paths 
must  become  a  desire.  Compromise  and  side-stepping 
moral  issues  must  cease.  He  must  yield  to  all  that  soul 
restoration  implies.  Life  must  respond  with  concrete  do- 
ing of  things  by  a  different  rule.  The  deep  experiences  of 
the  valley  must  be  gone  through  with  a  sheep's  implicit 
confidence  in  the  shepherd.  He  must  permit  the  Shep- 
herd's touch  as  he  seeks  the  bruises  which  need  anointing. 
These  sins,  excused  on  the  ground  of  temperament,  must 
be  probed.  The  keen  satisfaction  of  having  the  Shepherd 
know  and  participate  in  the  whole  life  must  be  the  ex- 
hilarating impulse  of  each  day's  living.  Under  these  con- 
ditions, could  there  be  greater  joy  imaginable  than  the 
consciousness  of  being  led  daily  according  to  the  best  that 
God  can  plan  ?  Yet  the  fullness  of  this  joy  the  psalmist 
only  faintly  visioned.  He  tuned  his  harp  at  too  early  a 
day.  But  to  us  is  the  full  strong  chord  struck  by  Jesus, 
who  said,  "I  am  the  Good  Shepherd."  For  he  leads  his 
sheep  not  only  "to  dwell  in  the  house  of  Jehovah,"  but 
straight  into  the  presence  of  God.  And  that  they  may 
arrive  safely,  he  lays  down  his  life  for  them. 

"Love  took  up  the  harp  of  Life,  and  smote  on  all  the  chorda 
with  might; 
Smote  the  chord  of  Self,  that,  trembling,  passed  in  music 
out  of  sight." 

And  he  helps  his  sheep  make  music  like  his  own. 

Guests  of  God.     There  is  great  joy  in  being  the  guest 


A  SENSE  OF  GOD'S  BOUNTIFUL  CARE      43 

of  another.  Everyone  has  this  experience  at  times.  But 
who  can  estimate  the  full  satisfaction  of  being  the  guest 
of  God  ?  For  such  are  all  who  know  the  deeper  meanings 
of  this  wonderful  psalm.  Life  at  its  best,  if  it  is  lived  in  a 
positive  manner,  meets  oppositions,  makes  enemies,  and 
develops  a  need  of  the  protecting  care  and  comfort  that 
God  alone  can  give.  To  such  a  host  we  come  at  the  close 
of  the  day.  Tired  and  distracted  with  the  toil  and  prob- 
lems of  life,  it  is  God  whose  communion  with  us  brings 
rest  and  peace.  He  gives  to  us  the  spiritual  hospitality 
which  our  souls  crave.  There  is  no  need  of  ours  to  wliich 
he  will  not  minister.  And  as  day  follows  day,  and  we 
find  his  ministry  to  our  personal  needs  unfailing,  we  are 
more  than  ever  constrained  to  repeat  with  the  psalmist : 

"Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine 

enemies: 
Thou  hast  anointed  my  head  with  oil; 
My  cup  runneth  over. 
Surely  goodness  and  lovingkindness  shall  follow  me  all  the 

days  of  my  life; 
And  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house  of  Jehovah  for  ever." 


Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

To  what  extent  does  goat  philosophy  prevail  among  men  ? 

In  what  sense  have  all  men  and  women  the  sheep  in- 
stinct ? 

How  came  the  psalmist  to  think  of  God  as  his  shepherd  ? 

What  are  some  of  the  things  which  the  shepherd  relation- 
ship implies? 

State  some  of  the  ways  in  which  God  leads  men.  When  ? 
Where  ? 

How  far  does  our  own  experience  parallel  that  of  the 
psalmist  ? 

Why  is  the  wise  life  of  a  righteous  man  a  vindication 
of  his  creation  ? 

What  capacity  for  likeness  to  himself  did  God  give  to 
men? 

In  what  ways  has  man  weakened  his  ability  to  appropri- 
ate all  this  endowment  ? 


44    HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

What  danger  do  we  run  of  being  overconfident  in  our 
knowledge  of  life's  pathway? 

How  does  the  content  of  the  twenty-third  psalm  deepen 
as  we  grow  older  ? 

From  what  fears  besides  the  fear  of  death  does  God 
relieve  us  ? 

Cite  the  obligations  of  one  who  is  shepherded  by  God. 

How  may  we  become  and  ever  remain  the  guests  of  God  ? 


CHAPTER  IV 
COURAGE 

The  Twenty-Seventh  Psalm 

'Jehovah  is  my  light  and  my  salvation; 

Whom  shall  I  fear? 

Jehovah  is  the  strength  of  my  life; 

Of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid? 

When  evil-doers  came  upon  me  to  eat  up  my  flesh, 

Even  mine  adversaries  and  my  foes,  they  stumbled  and  fell. 

Though  a  host  should  encamp  against  me, 

My  heart  shall  not  fear: 

Though  war  should  rise  against  me, 

Even  then  will  I  be  confident. 

One  thing  have  I  asked  of  Jehovah,  that  will  I  seek  after: 

That  I  may  dwell  in  the  house  of  Jehovah  all  the  days  of 

my  life, 
To  behold  the  beauty  of  Jehovah, 
And  to  inquire  in  his  temple. 
For  in  the  day  of  trouble  he  will  keep  me  secretly  in  his 

pavilion : 
In  the  covert  of  his  tabernacle  will  he  hide  me; 
He  will  lift  me  up  upon  a  rock. 
And  now  shall  my  head  be  lifted  up  above  mine  enemies 

round  about  me; 
And  I  will  offer  in  his  tabernacle  sacrifices  of  joy; 
I  will  sing,  yea,  I  will  sing  praises  unto  Jehovah. 

'Hear,  O  Jehovah,  when  I  cry  with  my  voice: 

Have  mercy  also  upon  me,  and  answer  me. 

When  thou  saidst,   Seek  ye  my  face;    my  heart  said   unl) 

thee, 
Thy  face,  Jehovah,  will  I  seek. 
Hide  not  thy  face  from  me; 
Put  not  thy  servant  away  in  anger: 
Thou  hast  been  my  help; 

Cast  me  not  off,  neither  forsake  me,  O  God  of  my  salvation. 
When  my  father  and  my  mother  forsake  me, 
Then  Jehovah  will  take  me  up. 
Teach  me  thy  way,  O  Jehovah; 
And  lead  me  in  a  plain  path. 
Because  of  mine  enemies. 

45 


46    HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

Deliver  me  not  over  unto  the  will  of  mine  adversaries: 

For  false  witnesses  are  risen  up  against  me, 

And  such  as  breathe  out  cruelty. 

/  had  fainted,  unless  I  had  believed  to  see  the  goodness  of 

Jehovah 
In  the  land  of  the  living. 
Wait  for  Jehovah: 

Be  strong,  and  let  thy  heart  take  courage; 
Yea,  wait  thou  for  Jehovah." 

The  Path  to  Courage 

Who  Is  Courageous?  The  school  bully  is  the  courage- 
ous fellow  to  the  undiscriminating  thought  of  boyhood. 
Who,  like  him,  is  able  to  bluster  and  swagger  before  his 
fear-smitten  comrades  ?  Only  the  later  years  bring  a  dis- 
tinction between  him  and  the  smaller  lad  who  really  dared 
an  uneven  battle.  With  this  knowledge  comes  the  realiza- 
tion that  there  are  also  intellectual  and  spiritual  bullies. 
Not  all  that  passes  for  courage  has  the  earmarks  of  gen- 
uineness. That  quality  of  mind  which  enables  one  to  en- 
counter dangers  and  meet  difficulties  with  a  firmness  of 
spirit,  free  from  fear,  alone  deserves  the  name.  This  ex- 
cludes the  wild  feats  of  the  foolhardy  as  well  as  the  bully's 
ill  performed  acts.  There  is  a  background  which  gives 
courage  to  the  courageous.  Neither  the  bully  nor  the  fool- 
hardy have  this.  The  one  uses  his  overestimated  strength 
to  cow  others,  the  other  often  seeks  the  spotlight  through 
a  bit  of  opportunism. 

That  man  is  morally  courageous  who  knocks  down  an- 
other larger  than  himself  because  of  an  insult  to  woman- 
hood. His  ideals  give  him  a  strength  which  his  arm  does 
not  possess.  He  uses  what  he  has  in  a  noble  cause.  He 
who  pioneers  for  some  new  thought  at  a  time  when  it  is 
a  generation  too  early  for  his  contemporaries  shows  intellec- 
tual courage.  The  earth  would  still  be  regarded  as  flat 
had  he  failed  to  come  along.  It  is  his  sort  who  gave  our 
fathers  the  light  which  we  use  to  cheer  the  pioneers  of 
to-day.  The  prophets  belonged  to  his  order.  So  did  the 
Christ.  Spiritual  courage  plunges  through  the  limitations 
of  a  formal  church  out  into  the  plains  where  men  are 
privileged  to  walk  with  God.    It  makes  doors  into  such  a 


COURAGE  47 

church,  through  which  the  foreigner  and  ignorant  may 
enter. 

A  knowledge  of  what  they  possess  physically,  intellec- 
tually, and  spiritually  backs  men  of  this  fiber.  And  to  men 
like  these  the  psalmist  was  a  comrade.  "Whom  shall  I 
fear?''  he  cries,  and,  "Of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid?"  No 
braggart  was  he,  rolling  up  his  sleeves  to  meet  all  comers. 
He  met  them,  though,  when  they  came.  He  was  a  man 
conscious  of  his  own  limitations  and  aware  of  the  source 
of  strength  which  he  needed  in  addition  to  what  he  pos- 
sessed. All  that  he  had  he  staked  on  the  promises  of  God 
and  his  own  experience  with  him. 

Where  Do  They  Get  It?  Quality  of  character  cannot  be 
purchased  at  the  five-and-ten-cent  store.  Courage  is  not 
a  bargain-counter  offering.  Physical  courage  is  often  due 
to  a  feeling  of  dependence  upon  the  human  machine  to 
do  what  one  wills.  A  feeling  of  fitness,  having  its  source 
in  care  of  the  body  and  training  in  the  use  of  one's  hands, 
has  brought  this  about.  Intellectual  courage  has  its  basis 
in  a  conviction  of  the  individual  that  truth  is  greater  than 
what  men  think  about  truth.  This  accounts  for  a  Luther 
nailing  up  protests  at  variance  with  the  thought  of  his 
time.  It  also  explains  the  man  who  prefers  being  in  the 
minority,  politically  or  religiously,  rather  than  standing 
pat  with  those  able  to  grant  preferment.  It  is  he  who 
smashes  machines  and  is  branded  an  outlaw.  The  old 
order  has  no  use  for  such. 

Spiritual  courage  is  developed  in  personal  experience 
with  God.  It  knows  to  what  other  men  have  attained  in 
spiritual  life.  It  has  an  accumulation  of  personal  evidence 
on  the  subject.  It  dares  to  accept  God  in  full  on  the 
basis  of  knowledge  and  experience.  This  makes  it  hard 
for  the  man  who  has  no  knowledge  of  what  God  has  done 
for  men  and  little  or  no  personal  experience  in  the  matter 
to  understand  a  life  marked  by  spiritual  courage.  Against 
all  forms  of  courage  those  who  lack  it  rave.  Failing  to 
recognize  the  validity  of  its  source,  they  sneer  at  it.  Un- 
willing to  pay  the  price  of  its  attainment,  they  wave  it 
aside  as  something  not  worth  while.  The  result  is  disas- 
trous.   It  gives  us  not  only  a  multitude  of  physical  cowards, 


48     HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

for  whom  we  can  often  find  excuse;  it  also  gives  ns  the 
intellectual  and  spiritual  cowards  who  too  often  veil  their 
cowardice  behind  a  camouflage  of  conservatism  and  ortho- 
doxy. One  man  courageous,  no  matter  what  it  cost,  is 
worth  a  multitude  of  cowards  who  obstruct  the  path  of 
progress. 

Where  the  Psalmist  Learned  the  Secret.  Those  who 
wrote  the  Psalms  did  not  look  on  life  with  sour  expression. 
Somehow  the  pictured  saints  always  impress  us  as  having 
lost  the  zest  of  life.  We  err  at  this  point.  They  shivered 
in  the  cold  and  perspired  in  the  heat.  Their  songs,  for 
the  most  part,  are  buoyant  with  life,  red-blooded  life  that 
will  arm  for  battle  and  slay  the  enemy  while  a  song  of 
praise  to  Jehovah-God  is  on  their  lips.  It  is  unfair  to 
compare  these  men  with  those  whom  the  wits  call  "sisters" 
to-day.  The  days  of  the  psalmists  were  frequently  filled 
with  the  alarms  of  war.  Fathers  and  sons  were  summoned 
to  leave  home  and  fight  then  as  now.  The  soldiers  of 
Israel  were  a  busy  lot  of  men.  Those  who  came  as  plun- 
derers had  to  be  conquered.  The  enemy  eager  to  annex  a 
section  of  land  needed  alert  attention.  They  had  to  sally 
forth  against  attack  from  all  sides.  They  thought  in  terms 
of  war.  Our  day  has  learned  a  new  vocabulary,  the  vocabu- 
lary of  military  equipment,  tactics,  and  maneuvers,  the 
terminology  of  the  sea,  the  air,  the  trench.  Hatred  of  a 
despicable  foe  has  woven  itself  into  the  songs  of  the  people. 
Shortly  we  shall  be  able  to  stand  by  the  psalmist^s  side 
and  understand  what  he  says.  Even  his  conception  of 
Jehovah  was  that  of  a  "warrior-God."  Not  "an  idol  made 
of  mud"  to  offer  war-prayers  to,  but  a  God  mighty  in 
battle. 

The  courage  of  the  psalmist  has  all  this  back  of  it. 
Why  fear,  with  Jehovah  at  hand  to  scatter  trouble's  dark- 
ness and  to  act  as  a  defense  against  all  assaults  ?  If  ene- 
mies rush  upon  him  like  wild  beasts,  why  show  fear? 
So  convinced  is  he  of  the  practical  backing  of  Jehovah 
that  an  army  hurled  across  his  path  would  not  disturb 
him?  Vain  boaster?  No.  He  based  his  conviction  on 
a  faith  that  had  never  been  betrayed.  Unlike  some  who 
would  turn  the  world  upside  down  in  order  to  demonstrate 


COURAGE  49 

their  ability  to  do  it,  he  chants  his  song  of  courage  against 
a  day  that  may  come  without  his  seeking.  Simplicity  of 
faith  like  this  defies  the  world.  Some  years  ago  in  Hart- 
ford, Connecticut,  Arba  Langton,  a  man  of  simple  faith, 
hung  a  sign  outside  of  a  little  mission  which  he  conducted. 
It  read,  "The  sword  of  the  Lord  and  Langton."  His  was 
a  life  of  courage  akin  to  the  psalmist.  He  knew  what 
a  man  can  do  when  God  is  his  fellow  worker  in  every 
task  of  life.  Simplicity  of  life,  a  knowledge  of  God^s  ways, 
fellowship  with  Jehovah — the  secret  itself  is  simple ;  to 
possess  it  demands  a  man. 

Where  Courage  Wields  Its  Power 

Interviewing  An  Ancient.  There  was  no  reporter  from 
a  Jerusalem  "daily"  to  interview  the  psalmist  in  order  to 
write  him  up,  give  his  history  to  the  people,  and  explain 
how  he  came  to  write  the  psalm.  That  is  left  for  those 
who  read  his  song  to-day.  We  are  able  to  interview  him 
through  the  psalm  itself.  Poetlike,  he  sings  himself  into 
his  lines.  He  makes  clear  that  the  confidence  of  which 
his  courage  is  the  expression  is  the  cause  of  his  thanks- 
giving to  Jehovah.  Yes,  he  would  spend  much  time  with 
God.  Busy?  Decidedly  so.  A  living  to  earn,  a  family 
to  support,  the  state  to  preserve,  the  church  to  maintain, 
battles  to  fight.  Quite  busy.  But,  you  see,  trouble  mixes 
up  with  all  of  these  routine  matters  of  a  day.  And  in 
trouble  Jehovah  will  shield  him  as  one  is  sheltered  from 
heat  and  storm.  Why  not  learn  Jehovah's  ways?  More- 
over, in  the  sterner  strifes  of  life  Jehovah  will  stand  about 
him  as  an  impregnable  fortress. 

How  satisfyingly  human  was  the  psalmist!  He  sang 
a  song  because  experience  had  written  the  words  and  music. 
Later,  when  the  outlook  is  dark  and  foreboding,  he  uses 
his  former  confidence  to  strengthen  his  weakened  faith. 
Not  that  he  boasted  of  what  he  used  to  be  able  to  do.  He 
reviewed  what  Jehovah  had  done  for  him.  In  so  doing 
he  made  the  courage  of  the  blue-sky  days  become  the  cour- 
age of  the  days  when  courage  sources  seemed  cut  off.  How 
does  he  differ  from  folks  to-day?     Not  much.     Only  the 


50    HEAET  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

generation  rushing  pell-mell  where  they  know  not,  give  a 
scant  glance  to  those  who,  like  the  psalmist,  fortify  their 
hours  of  trouble  with  the  courage  of  the  days  when  youth 
helped  all  to  run  well.  The  psalmist's  neighbors  treated 
him  the  same  way.  But  he  did  not  care.  Neither  do 
those  of  to-day  who  are  like-minded. 

Courage  Grafters.  Small  men  seek  courage  for  per- 
sonal ends.  If  they  acquire  a  little  courage,  it  usually 
makes  them  bullies  of  one  sort  or  another.  If  it  does  not, 
it  sets  them  to  swelling  up  their  muscles  for  the  admiration 
and  intimidation  of  those  less  ostentatious.  The  psalmist 
sought  personal  courage.  It  became  a  part  of  his  individ- 
ual development.  But  he  did  not  desire  it  in  order  that 
his  name  might  appear  in  Who's  Who.  He  considered  his 
enemies  to  be  the  enemies  of  Jehovah,  and  Jehovah's 
enemies  his  own.  Therefore  courage  to  him  became  an 
instrument  in  destroying  those  who  opposed  his  God.  He 
justified  his  use  of  courage  by  the  conceptions  of  his  time. 
In  his  use  of  it  for  Jehovah  he  rendered  service  to  his 
fellow  man.  He  was  almost  modern  in  his  practice  at  this 
point.  The  emphasis  on  war  sets  him  back  a  bit,  as  it 
has  some  folks  to-day.  Our  conception  of  God  and  man 
does  away  with  our  justifying  the  use  of  God-giveh  cour- 
age for  personal  ends.  The  doctrine  of  noblesse  ohlige  calls 
for  the  giving  of  strength  to  the  weak  by  the  strong. 
Iron-muscled  men  have  little  patience  with  physical 
weaklings  until  they  feel  grateful  for  a  perfect  body.  Those 
possessed  of  courage  to  think  ahead  of  their  fellows  fret 
at  the  lagging  procession  of  dullards.  And  those  who 
have  dared  to  meet  God  with  a  pure  heart  are  in  danger 
of  becoming  self-righteous  as  they  see  the  multitude  dis- 
cussing ways  and  means  of  approaching  God.  When  cour- 
age fails  to  see  visions  for  those  less  endowed,  when  it  grows 
peevish  over  the  lesser  attainments  and  falterings  of  others, 
the  danger  signal  is  set  at  the  next  switch. 

"Help  Wanted''  The  kingdom  of  God  has  large  need 
of  courageous  men  and  women.  One  of  its  foundations  is 
"love  and  service  for  others.''  What  a  large  use  of  courage 
can  be  made  on  this  platform.  To  fight  the  liquor  traffic 
in  the  face  of  physical  danger  is  courageous.     When  we 


COURAGE  51 

stand  by  our  well-thought-out  convictions  concerning  the 
value  of  hygiene  in  the  tenement  district,  despite  the  cry 
that  the  people  love  dirt  and  disease,  courage  is  necessary. 
To  order  out  vicious  tenants  found  using  our  property  for 
immoral  or  vicious  purposes  demands  both  courage  and 
sacrifice.  To  put  into  practice  our  preaching  that  girls 
who  work  should  be  paid  a  wage  sufficient  to  give  them 
independence  hits  our  courage  where  the  dollars  speak.  A 
lack  of  courage  here,  however,  neutralizes  the  efforts  of 
Christian  men  and  women  to  lead  folks  to  Jesus  Christ. 
Sufficient  spiritual  courage  is  necessary  to  practice  the 
teachings  of  the  Kingdom  before  there  will  be  any  great 
rush  for  entrance  on  the  part  of  those  outside.  The  King- 
dom has  the  sign  hung  out,  "Help  wanted."  Why  do  we 
wait  to  take  it  down  ?  Is  it  courage  that  we  lack  ?  There 
is  plenty  of  it  available. 

Preparedness 

For  the  Dark  Days,  Preparedness  is  no  new  doctrine. 
Its  uniqueness  is  in  the  fact  that  so  few  people  recognize 
its  value  until  too  late.  The  admonitions  and  encourage- 
ments of  the  aged  should  inspire  those  who  in  youth  accept 
life's  burdens,  for  preparedness  means  the  doing  of  neces- 
sary and  frequently  difficult  tasks  when  the  rest  of  the 
world  is  at  play.  Relatively  small  is  the  number  of  those 
found  ready  for  the  emergencies  either  of  misfortune  or 
opportunity.  Recognizing  no  possible  opportunity,  they 
fail  also  to  accept  the  experiences  of  others  as  an  indica- 
tion of  the  universality  of  misfortune  or  sorrow.  A  clear- 
cut  knowledge  of  God  is  a  necessity  when  the  stress  of  life 
is  great.  In  the  days  of  adversity  the  psalmist  recalls  that 
when  Jehovah  urged  that  he  seek  him,  he  obeyed.  This 
gave  him  courage  to  endure.  "Thou  hast  been  my  liclp." 
What  if  he  is  as  friendless  and  forsaken  as  a  deserted  child, 
Jehovah  will  care  for  him.  Those  who  have  never  experi- 
enced spiritual  loneliness  cannot  sympathize  with  this  mood 
of  a  man  in  distress.  Such  as  have,  however,  take  the  same 
way  out  that  he  did.  "Teach  me  thy  ways";  "lead  me  in 
a  plain  path."     He  would  have  everything  out  in  the 


52     HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

open.  The  fear  of  false  friends  and  enemies  who  purred 
over  him  in  the  guise  of  sympathizers  troubled  him.  The 
psalmist  dwelt  among  folks  of  the  sort  who  discredit  by 
faint  praise.  He  knew  the  sleek,  suave  ''brother"  who  knew 
all  the  hurtful  things  to  say  to  all  who  would  listen.  This 
sort  of  comment  about  a  man  eats  at  the  heart  like  a 
canker.  Surely  the  man  needed  a  faith  that  God's  good- 
ness was  to  be  shown  to  him  in  this  life.  But  the  faith 
which  gave  him  courage  would  have  been  lacking  had  he 
listened  to  those  who  had  no  time  for  the  fellowship  with 
God  which  was  his  delight. 

Concerning  That  Fellowship.  One  comes  to  know  God 
only  through  fellowship  with  him.  Life  failures  strewn 
along  the  path  of  the  ages  testify  to  that.  And  the  men 
and  women  who  have  walked  with  courage  through  almost 
impossible  experiences  witness  to  the  accessibility  of  God 
for  this  fellowship.  A  great  number  of  books  are  written 
to-day  on  "How"— "How  to  cook,"  "How  to  swim,"  "How 
to  live  on  seventeen  cents  a  day."  The  bookstalls  are  full 
of  them.  But  who  shall  write  the  books  on  "How  to  have 
fellowship  with  God"?  No  modern  scribe  can  do  this 
better  than  it  has  already  been  done.  The  pages  of  "The 
World's  Best  Seller"  fairly  bristle  with  suggestions.  Why 
go  outside  of  the  Bible  for  the  way?  "I  am  the  way,  the 
truth,  and  the  life :  no  one  cometh  unto  the  Father,  but  by 
me,"  Jesus  said  in  response  to  a  query  from  one  of  his 
disciples.  One  method  by  which  he  made  his  saying  con- 
crete was  to  know  the  Scriptures.  One  must  know  about 
God  before  he  can  know  God.  This  does  not  mean  a 
fantastic  use  of  Scripture  or  the  selection  of  a  verse  at  ran- 
dom. It  means  an  intelligent  study  of  the  Bible  and 
about  the  Bible.  Jesus  also  prayed.  Prayer  was  intimate 
communion  with  God  as  Jesus  used  it.  Only  the  baring  of 
one's  personality  brings  a  similar  response  from  another. 
Constant  watchfulness  to  live  Christlike  soon  results  in 
a  new  meaning  to  the  phrase,  "Our  Father."  Impatient 
for  quick  results,  too  often  a  short  cut  is  tried.  It  always 
leads  to  a  dead  wall,  where  one  must  turn  back.  Our 
eagerness  never  hurries  God,  but  our  earnestness  impresses 
him.    Delayed  blessings  may  be  due  to  failure  on  our  part 


COURAGE  53 

to  follow  the  Guide.  Are  we  as  anxious  to  do  the  things 
he  wants  us  to  do  as  we  are  to  have  him  do  the  things 
which  we  want  done  ?  Fellowship  with  God  is  a  certainty, 
but  it  comes  by  the  way  of  the  cross. 

Arms  or  the  Man?  In  the  hour  of  apparent  defeat  the 
real  man  stands  forth.  Ordinary  victory  gives  no  fair 
criterion  of  a  soldier.  The  hard  months  in  the  trenches 
have  shown  the  sort  of  stuff  of  which  armies  are  made. 
The  psalmist  would  have  made  good  with  the  Allies  at 
the  front.  When  his  sword  broke  he  did  not  throw  it 
away  and  skulk  to  the  rear.  Instead  "he  believed  to  see 
the  goodness  of  Jehovah^'  and  fought  a  victorious  fight  with 
his  broken  weapon.  By  so  doing  he  won  a  victory  twice: 
once  over  his  difficulties  and  once  over  himself.  The  cou- 
rageous fighter  in  life's  battles — those  common  things  of 
every  day — is  doing  what  this  Israelite  did.  The  King- 
dom is  advanced  by  men  like  him.  No  greater  and  no 
less  were  his  opportunities  than  ours.  Weapons  do  not 
decide  a  conflict.  The  real  fight  is  with  the  man  himself. 
And  the  testing  question  continually  is,  "Am  I  simply  a 
craven  or  a  strong,  courageous  knight?"  Let  us  then  be 
"Knights  of  the  Spirit." 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

Compare  courage  and  foolhardiness. 
How  is  ordinary  courage  developed? 
How  did  the  psalmist  become  courageous? 
What  is  the  significance  for  life  of  intellectual  courage? 
Where  do  we  find  courageous  people  ? 
How  does  spiritual  bullying  manifest  itself  ? 
Cite  some  instances  of  courage. 

How  does  the  doctrine  of  "preparedness"  enter  into  the 
life  of  the  courageous  ? 

In  what  places  is  Christian  courage  needed  to-day  ? 
What  is  God-given  courage? 
How  does  one  acquire  it? 


CHAPTEE  V 
THE  PATHOS  OF  LIFE 
additional  reading,  psalm  90 

The  Thiety-Ninth  Psalm 

"I  said,  I  will  take  lieed  to  my  ways, 
That  I  sin  not  with  my  tongue: 
I  will  keep  my  mouth  with  a  bridle, 
While  the  wicked  is  before  me. 

I  was  dumb  with  silence,  I  held  my  peace,  even  from  good; 
And  my  sorrow  was  stirred. 
My  heart  was  hot  within  me; 
While  I  was  musing  the  fire  burned; 
Then  spake  I  with  my  tongue: 
Jehovah,  make  me  to  know  mine  end. 
And  the  measure  of  my  days,  what  it  is; 
Let  me  know  how  frail  I  am. 

Behold,  thou  hast  made  my  days  as  hand-breadths; 
And  my  life-time  is  as  nothing  before  thee: 
Surely  every  man   at  his  best  estate   is  altogether  vanity. 
Surely  every  man  walketh  in  a  vain  show; 
Surely  they  are  disquieted  in  vain: 
He  heapeth  up  riches  and  knoweth  not  who  shall  gather 

them. 
And  now.  Lord,  what  wait  I  for? 
My  hope  is  in  thee. 

Deliver  me  from  all  my  transgressions: 
Make  me  not  the  reproach  of  the  foolish. 
I  was  dumb,  I  opened  not  my  mouth; 
Because  thou  didst  it. 
Remove  thy  stroke  away  from  me: 
I  am  consumed  by  the  blow  of  thy  hand. 
When  thou  with  rebukes  dost  correct  man  for  iniquity, 
Thou  makest  his  beauty  to  consume  away  like  a  moth: 
Surely  every  man  is  vanity. 

'Hear  my  prayer,  O  Jehovah,  and  give  ear  unto  my  cry; 

Hold  not  thy  peace  at  my  tears: 

For  I  am  a  stranger  with  thee, 

A  sojourner,  as  all  my  fathers  were. 

Oh  spare  me,  that  I  may  recover  strength, 

Before  I  go  hence,  and  be  no  more." 

54 


THE  PATHOS  OF  LIFE  55 

Is  It  Worth  the  Candle? 

Why  Not  Complain?  Why  not  complain  if  we  are  sick 
and  our  neighbor  is  vigorous  and  strong?  Especially  if 
we  have  endeavored  to  live  right,  pay  our  debts,  treat  our 
neighbors  with  fairness  and  the  world  at  large  with  jus- 
tice, and  our  neighbor  treats  God  as  a  byword  and  does 
none  of  those  things  expected  of  a  good  citizen.  Why  not  ? 
A  good  complaining  eases  the  mind,  gives  vent  to  one's 
feelings,  and  lets  everyone  know  that  we  are  not  unmindful 
of  the  injustice  of  our  situation.  The  psalmist  had  excel- 
lent reason  for  taking  this  view  of  things.  Sickness  in 
his  day  was  popularly  regarded  as  proof  of  God's  displeas- 
ure. It  was  an  occasion  for  the  scofer  to  hurl  his  taunting 
jibes.  Even  the  kindly  disposed  found  cause  to  wag  their 
head.  Why  not  burst  forth  with  counter  jibe,  recalling 
some  undesirable  event  in  their  experience?  A  display  of 
rage  might  at  least  drive  away  those  who  persisted  in 
their  unwelcome  attentions.  The  argument  would  have 
been  easy  to  yield  to,  since  to  ancient  Israel  sickness  which 
resulted  in  death  must  be  an  indication  of  an  interruption 
of  fellowship  with  God.  Our  habit  is  to  question  God's 
love  for  us  at  such  times.  Or  else  we  plaintively  query, 
"What  have  we  done  to  merit  it?"  The  burden  of  our 
illness  or  the  near  approach  of  death  too  often  drives  us 
to  the  placing  of  responsibility  upon  God  to  whom,  here- 
tofore, we  have  given  little  if  any  consideration.  Evidently, 
the  psalmist  had  a  goodly  amount  of  well-trained  will 
power.  He  resolved  to  be  doubly  careful  of  every  word 
he  uttered,  every  act  he  did.  No  one  would  trap  him 
into  murmuring  against  God.  Of  what  value  is  faith,  if 
not  for  times  like  this  ?  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  this  sick 
man  appearing  in  prayer  meeting,  week  after  week,  report- 
ing how  he  had  failed  to  make  good  during  the  week  gone 
by,  but  that  he  would  make  the  next  week  a  remarkable 
demonstration  of  his  faith.  He  recognized  the  stubborn 
element  in  himself  and  harnessed  his  mouth  as  with  a 
bridle.  He  controlled  his  tongue  and  kept  from  speaking 
with  bitterness  and  cursings  against  his  lot.  He  was 
sick,  probably  peevish,  his  mind  a  burning  furnace  of 


56     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

fevered  suggestions.  Holding  the  current  religious  phi- 
losophy of  his  day,  it  was  not  easy  to  suffer  seyere  illness. 
Happily,  his  practical  religion  outran  his  theory  of  truth, 
and  he  disappointed  those  who  came  around  to  see  him 
break  loose  and  rave.  Somehow  the  reality  of  God  pos- 
sessed him.  Like  men  of  to-day  who  show  remarkable 
Christian  fortitude  in  times  of  crisis,  he  demonstrated  that 
the  restraining  power  of  religion  is  not  an  idle  phrase. 
Do  we  question  in  what  way  he  would  have  sinned  if  he 
had  complained  against  God?  What  do  you  say  to-day 
when  Christians  complain  of  their  lot? 

The  Philosophy  of  Silence  as  Practiced  ly  the  Psalmist. 
Constant  repression  of  intense  emotion  reacts  with  bad 
results.  The  sick  man  of  our  study  found  *T£;eeping  his 
grievance  on  the  inside  of  him'^  an  aggravation  to  his 
sickness.  His  pulse  grew  more  rapid  and  his  respiration 
increased.  He  soon  had  to  do  something  or  collapse.  Many 
a  twentieth-century  attempt  to  keep  silent  before  the 
criticisms  of  friends  and  enemies  has  at  last  given  way  to 
some  form  of  words.  The  result  has  often  surprised  those 
waiting  for  the  breaking  point  to  arrive.  Like  the  leering 
Israelites  who  expected  the  psalmist  to  make  a  show  of 
himself,  modern  tormentors  have  been  disappointed.  There 
are  two  ways  which  people  use  in  trying  to  secure  relief 
for  wrought-up  feelings.  The  user  of  violent  oaths  employs 
one  way,  the  man  of  prayer  the  other.  That  the  first 
method  is  a  failure  need  not  be  said.  Prayer  leads  the 
soul  into  the  place  where  one's  life  is  viewed  as  a  unit  in 
a  great  scheme  of  things  the  relationship  of  which  must 
be  understood  in  order  to  discover  its  significance.  This 
is  one  of  the  practical  values  of  prayer.  "Why  not  phi- 
losophize a  bit?''  said  the  psalmist  to  himself.  In  com- 
munion with  God  we  are  able  to  face  the  fact  that  life, 
in  its  present  form,  must  end  some  time  for  each  of  us. 
A  man  cannot  live  forever.  Why  not  recognize  the  short- 
ness of  life?  The  fathers  of  to-day  buried  the  fathers  of 
yesterday.  Why  not  be  ready  to  take  our  place,  in  due 
time,  in  the  caravan  which  presses  on  "to  the  pale  realm 
of  shade,  where  each  shall  take  his  chamber  in  the  silent 
halls  of  death"?    Sickness  is  a  great  handbook  on  profit- 


THE  PATHOS  OF  LIFE  57 

able  thinking  concerning  the  brevity  of  life.  The  slowing 
down  of  machinery  reveals  every  rattle  due  to  worn-out 
parts,  loosened  bearings,  and  overstrain.  With  full  speed 
on,  it  looks  as  though  it  might  last  forever,  unoiled,  un- 
repaired, unattended.  What  is  life,  after  all  ?  The  psalm- 
ist spreads  out  the  four  fingers  of  his  right  hand.  A  hand- 
breadth,  the  shortest  measure  he  knew,  compassed  life 
when  compared  to  eternity.  No  time  available  for  useless 
things.  Conservation  of  time  and  energy  is  a  valuable  asset 
here.  The  whole  of  life  seems  insignificant  when  viewed 
from  a  high  attitude.  Life  itself  appears  cheap.  Men  are 
murdered,  shot  in  battle,  hung,  electrocuted,  killed  by 
trains,  commit  suicide.  What's  the  use  ?  Why  give  special 
honor  to  any  individual,  whatever  his  position  or  wealth? 
Finally  all  go  out,  escorted  by  the  undertaker.  ''Vain 
shoV  is  right.  Count  the  useless  things  done  during  life's 
brief  span.  Check  up  the  needful  and  worthy  things  left 
undone.  Every  man,  apparently,  has  a  philosophy  of  his 
own  concerning  life  worked  out  in  the  laboratory  of  his 
own  pleasure.  "Sick  man's  ravings?"  Do  you  think  so? 
Then  recall  your  sick-bed  meditations  and  the  thoughts 
which  have  run  through  your  mind  as  over  the  body  of 
some  loved  one  or  friend  a  minister  has  said,  "Earth  to 
earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust."  The  revision  of  our 
thinking  when  in  the  lingering  presence  of  death  is  oft- 
times  as  radical  as  it  is  wholesome. 

Oteblooked  By-Products  of  Life 

In  the  Test-tube  of  Experience.  To  claim  that  man's 
chief  concern  in  life  is  getting  and  spending  is  to  indicate 
a  preference  for  the  philosophy  of  the  cave-man.  The 
cosmic  purpose  is  much  larger  than  the  mere  perpetuation 
of  life.  We  cast  our  thesis  in  ancient  mold  if  we  stop 
at  that.  The  by-products  of  life  are  its  real  glory.  In 
them  do  the  richer  values  of  living  manifest  themselves. 
They  make  the  sunset  more  than  a  lurid  ball  of  fire  seen 
through  a  million  particles  of  dust.  They  give  to  en- 
deavor a  high  ideal.  They  make  the  body  subservient  to 
the  aspirations  of  a  mind  fired  by  the  possibilities  of  God. 
Otherwise,  why  struggle  along  with  life?    It  is  brief,  full 


58    HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

of  trouble  and  sickness,  and  ends  in  physical  breakdown 
and  death.  Would  it  not  be  as  well  to  order  the  physician 
to  stop  coming,  dismiss  the  nurse,  and  throw  the  medicine 
out  of  the  window  ?  There  must  be  something  that  makes 
life  worth  the  living  amid  all  its  troubles  and  misfortune. 
Even  those  pious  souls  who  sing  "On  Jordan's  stormy  bank 
I  stand  and  cast  a  wistful  eye,''  ask  the  minister  to  pray 
for  their  recovery  when  pneumonia  has  brought  them  face 
to  face  with  death.  Old  earth  seems  to  be  a  pretty  good 
place  to  stay  when  leaving  it  becomes  a  near  certainty. 
"My  hope  is  in  thee,"  sang  the  psalmist.  And  thereby  he 
shouted  aloud  to  the  world  that  the  spiritual  nature  which 
had  developed  within  him  wl^ile  he  did  the  common  toil 
of  life  was  something  far  more  valuable  than  that  which 
had  occupied  so  much  of  his  time.  In  the  selection  of 
the  experiences  which  went  into  his  life's  making,  those 
with  God  easily  separated  themselves  as  the  most  valuable. 
The  struggle  to  secure  a  home  and  food  and  clothing  in 
its  high  satisfaction  was  as  nothing  compared  with  these. 
Life's  shadows  were  closing  in  on  him.  Life's  last  night 
had  almost  arrived.  Material  things,  yes,  even  the  chil- 
dren of  his  youth,  would  soon  be  shut  out  from  him.  His 
body  would  decay.  But  God  lived.  And  he  knew  God. 
The  going  up  to  Jerusalem  to  be  made  a  son  of  the  law 
at  the  age  of  twelve,  had  been,  perhaps,  a  perfunctory 
ceremonial.  But  the  years  of  training  at  the  feasts  in  the 
temple  had  made  the  ceremonial  a  living  experience.  The 
by-product  of  fellowship  with  Jehovah  lifts  high  above 
the  main  stress  of  life.  It  foreshadows  the  challenge  of 
a  day  then  unborn,  "0  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  0  grave, 
where  is  thy  victory  ?" 

A  Wise  Prayer.  Renewed  strength  for  wasted  limbs  is 
not  the  burden  of  the  sick  man's  prayer.  Certainly  he 
would  be  well  if  that  were  possible.  He  was  human.  But 
the  consciousness  of  his  fellowship  with  God  made  his  sins 
loom  up  as  mountain  ranges  when  the  fog  lifts  from  the 
valley.  Holding  the  view  of  his  time,  sin,  to  him,  was  the 
cause  of  his  sickness.  His  prognosis  of  his  own  case  gave 
him  a  bit  of  uneasiness.  All  the  neighbors  knew  that 
he  was  sinful  because  he  was  sick.    He  did  not  want  to 


THE  PATHOS  OF  LIFE  59 

be  the  byword  of  those  dominated  by  moral  perversity.  His 
silence  in  their  presence  he  attributes  to  his  own  belief  that 
God  was  responsible.  Hence  in  the  working  out  of  God's 
will  he  would  offer  no  complaint.  He  will  not  let  anyone 
else  know  how  he  feels.  Moreover,  he  acknowledges  his 
sin.  But  he  would  like  to  have  the  ban  lifted.  The  hand 
of  God  working  as  conscience  eats  away  all  the  desirable- 
ness of  man.  Physically  and  mentally  he  is  unfit.  His 
beauty  is  consumed  as  is  a  coat  in  which  the  moth-grub 
feasts  unseen.  The  stamp  of  man's  frailty  is  seen  most 
clearly  here.  Does  the  psalmist  blame  himself  or  God? 
Apparently  himself,  else  he  would  not  so  eagerly  seek  for 
such  a  readjustment  of  his  own  inner  life  as  he  does.  He 
seeks  a  deep  inward  peace. 

Profitable  Persistence.  There  are  prayers  made  to  which 
the  petitioner  expects  no  answer.  He  says  his  prayers. 
The  sick  man  goaded  by  an  unhappy  conscience  really 
prayed.  He  had  been  taught  that  there  were  three  kinds 
of  supplication,  each,  in  a  different  way,  superior  to  the 
other.  Ordinary  prayer  was  made  in  silence.  The  emo- 
tional nature  might  be  stirred  but  little  in  such  dignified 
petition.  To  cry  aloud  one's  prayer  indicated  more  concern 
over  the  object  sought.  To  seek  God's  favor  with  tears 
indicated  such  burden  of  soul  as  necessitated  an  answer 
before  rest  could  be  enjoyed.  All  three  methods  are  used 
in  the  extremity  at  hand.  Eestoration  of  health  would 
do  two  things :  give  back  the  joy  of  living,  and  guQ  evidence 
of  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  Persistent  prayer  to  God  brings 
results.  Through  its  process  one  comes  to  a  fairer  appraisal 
of  the  justice  and  wisdom  of  that  for  which  he  asks. 
This  in  turn  adjusts  the  mind  to  accept  the  answer, 
whether  favorable  or  unfavorable,  as  God's  will  and  to  say, 
"Thy  will  be  done."  There  is  no  evidence  that  the  psalm- 
ist recovered.  There  is,  however,  an  eloquent  witness  to 
a  nobility  of  soul  that  was  satisfied  to  look  to  God  for 
results.  How  does  this  compare  with  our  conception  and 
use  of  prayer  ? 

Wayfarers 
Immigrants.    Life  is  frequently  pictured  as  a  pilgrim- 


60     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

age ;  man,  as  a  traveler.  We  are  immigrants  to  earth.  We 
shall  emigrate  from  earth's  shores.  Aliens  and  strangers, 
we  strive  to  learn  the  essentials  of  life-citizenship  that  we 
may  pass  the  examination  on  the  way  out.  A  sojourner 
was  the  psalmist.  The  word  suggests  temporary  residence 
dependent  on  the  good  will  of  the  owner.  God  owns  the 
earth;  hence  man  is  a  tenant,  a  "stranger,'^  a  "sojourner." 
As  strangers  were  cared  for  by  Israel,  so  the  psalmist  would 
ask  clemency  from  God.  How  far  do  we  look  up  to  God 
with  this  conception?  Or  have  we  caught  the  spirit  of  a 
later  teaching?  Are  we  looking  beyond  this  life  for 
reality  ?  The  end  of  things  came  with  death  to  the  psalm- 
ist. The  frailty  of  life  and  the  uselessness  of  its  vanities 
filled  the  sunset  with  a  pitiful  pathos.  He  had  not  yet 
caught  the  vision  of  a  life  beyond.  His  cause  for  com- 
plaint, had  he  chosen  to  make  it,  could  have  been  justified. 
Why  should  he  not  desire  a  bright  sky  for  life's  day,  since 
its  night  was  so  dark  and  gloomy?  Put  in  his  place,  one 
might  almost  chant  with  him  the  plaint  of  the  wayiarer 
who  sees  nothing  but  gloom  and  discouragement  in  life, 
and  the  end  a  sort  of  rest,  although  an  unsatisfactory  rest 
at  that: 

"When  down  long  lanes  with  weary  feet 
I  trudge  towards  close  of  day, 
I  yearn  to  rest  beside  the  stream 
And  breathe  the  new-mown  hay. 

"But  ever  must  I  hasten  on. 

Though  rough  the  path,  and  get 
What  scanty  joy  the  journey  gives. 
For  soon  the  sun  will  set, — 

"And  ere  its  glorious  light  withdraws 
From  all  that  life  counts  best, 
I  must  be  past  the  shadow'd  vale, 
Across  the  ford,  at  rest." 

Life*s  Pathos.  The  pathos  of  life  is  not  in  its  brevity 
or  its  troubles.  It  is  in  the  lamentable  fact  that  so  many 
do  not  see  what  might  be  until  too  late.  Busied  with  non- 
essentials, we  rush  through  life  laying  aside  its  real  tasks 
for  another  day.     This  means  that  we  shall  have  to  say. 


THE  PATHOS  OF  LIFE  61 

when  old  age  grasps  us  by  the  hand,  "There  are  so  many 
left-over  things  I  want  to  finish/'  There  will  also  be  a 
number  of  regrets  to  classify  with  the  undone  tasks.  Old 
age  is  revered  when  along  the  path  it  has  come  it  has  left 
life  brighter  and  easier  for  those  who  follow.  The  sun- 
set lights  the  west  with  a  message  of  hope,  a  psalm  of 
welcome.  Friends  grieve  at  the  going  of  one  who  has  put 
content  into  friendship,  neighborliness,  good  citizenship, 
and  Christian  character.  The  approaching  night  may  find 
such  a  one  weak  and  feeble.  But  the  tolling  of  the  bell 
in  the  steeple  of  the  church  at  the  corner  vibrates  with 
the  satisfying  echo  of  "Well  done !'' 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

What  is  life's  real  pathos? 

How  does  psalm  ninety  throw  light  on  psalm  thirty- 
nine? 

What  was  thought  to  be  the  relationship  between  sin 
and  suffering? 

How  much  of  life  is  really  worth  while  ? 

What  is  the  reaction  of  complaining  upon  the  com- 
plainer  ? 

Of  what  value  to-day  is  the  psalmist's  philosophy  of 
silence  ? 

In  what  way  are  people  to-day  like  the  psalmist's  neigh- 
bors? 

How  does  prayer  help  in  time  of  trouble  ? 

How  does  prayer  help  in  time  of  joy  ? 

Why  is  the  wayfarer's  philosophy  unsatisfactory? 

What  sort  of  life  gives  consent  to  the  final  "Well  done"  ? 


CHAPTEE  VI 

COMFOET  m  SOEEOW 

additional  readings,  psalm  43 

The  Foety-Second  Psalm 

"As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water  brooks. 
So  panteth  my  soul  after  thee,  O  God. 
My  soul  thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God: 
When  shall  I  come  and  appear  before  God? 
My  tears  have  been  my  food  day  and  night, 
While  they  continually  say  unto  me,  Where  is  thy  God? 
These  things  I  remember,  and  pour  out  my  soul  within  me. 
How  I  went  with  the  throng,  and  led  them  to  the  house 

of  God, 
With  the  voice  of  joy  and  praise,  a  multitude  keeping  holy- 
day. 
Why  art  thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul? 
And  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me? 
Hope  thou  in  God;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him 
For  the  help  of  his  countenance. 

"O  my  God,  my  soul  is  cast  down  within  me: 
Therefore  do  I  remember  thee  from  the  land  of  Jordan, 
And  the  Hermons,  from  the  hill  Mizar, 
Deep  calleth  unto  deep  at  the  noise  of  thy  waterfalls: 
All  thy  waves  and  thy  billows  are  gone  over  me. 
Yet  Jehovah  will  command  his  lovingkindness  in  the  day- 
time; 
And  in  the  night  his  song  shall  be  with  me. 
Even  a  prayer  unto  the  God  of  my  life. 
I  will  say  unto  God  my  rock, 
Why  hast  thou  forgotten  me? 

Why  go  I  mourning  because  of  the  oppression  of  the  enemy? 
As  with  a  sword  in  my  bones,  mine  adversaries  reproach  me, 
While  they  continually  say  unto  me,  Where  is  thy  God? 
Why  art  thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul? 
And  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me? 
Hope  thou  in  God;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him. 
Who  is  the  help  of  my  countenance,  and  my  God." 

62 


COMFORT  IN  SORROW  63 

The  Thirsty  Populace 

Life's  Commonplaces.  Like  sin  and  suffering,  sorrow 
knows  no  aristocracy.  Its  fingers  mark  the  lines  of  ex- 
perience upon  the  face  of  rich  and  poor.  Nor  is  there  any 
distinction  made  between  saint  and  sinner.  Sorrow  meets 
everyone  at  the  crossroads  early,  and  thereafter  appoints 
frequent  trysting  places  along  life's  highway.  There  is 
nothing  so  common  as  sorrow.  Both  sin  and  suffering 
contribute  to  it  from  their  boundless  store.  And  goodness 
itself,  nothing  loth,  helps  to  fill  brimful  the  cup  already 
nearly  overflowing.  Wiseacres  and  others  not  so  wise  have 
philosophized  on  the  why  of  it  all,  but  to  no  avail.  Learned 
treatises  have  been  written  to  show  the  inherent  nature  of 
this  heritage  in  which  all  folks  share.  But  going  through 
sorrow  is  an  experience  to  which  academic  discussions  yield 
scant  help.  To  the  woman  enduring  the  poignancy  of  sor- 
row which  only  women  know,  the  "Cheer  up,  sister,"  of 
those  who  cannot  know,  is  almost  mockery.  There  is  a 
lift,  however,  in  the  song  of  a  man  who  has  known  sorrow 
of  soul  and  yet  found  that  which  not  only  sustained  him, 
but  also  held  inviolate  the  integrity  of  his  faith.  In  the 
fellowship  of  such  a  veteran  in  life's  common  heritage 
one  takes  courage.  He  looks  about  him  to  take  fresh 
appraisal  of  the  circumstances  out  of  which  his  sorrow 
comes.  He  looks  within  himself  to  check  up  his  own  resist- 
ing powers  against  moodiness  and  despair.  He  seeks  out 
one  who  has  traveled  the  same  road  and  asks  for  advice. 
He  asks  the  advice  because  he  needs  it  and  wants  it,  but 
not  until  he  thinks  through  the  process  by  which  the  other 
man  came  out  of  the  bogs,  and  not  until  he  adopts  the 
principles  involved  in  the  other  man's  coming  through. 

The  Psalmist  Ojfers  a  Suggestion.  Antiquity  of  itself 
has  nothing  which  commends  it.  Straight-back  chairs  or 
cord  beds  fail  to  woo  us  from  the  comfort  of  a  porch-chair 
or  a  felt  mattress  just  because  these  uncomfortable  articles 
of  furniture  belonged  to  our  great-grandfather's  age.  The 
method  used  by  King  Hiram's  workmen,  however,  in  mov- 
ing the  massive  blocks  of  stone  from  the  quarry  to  their 
place  in  Solomon's  Temple,  if  it  could  be  discovered,  would 


6-1     HEAET  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

find  a  place  alongside  of  modern  physics,  for  it  would  fit 
those  problems  of  life  where  material  construction  is  going 
on.  Thus  the  hoary  antiquity  we  pass  in  traveling  back  to 
the  psalmist  does  not  cause  us  to  think  of  him  as  ancient. 
He  has  a  contribution  for  life  to-day.  He  is  modern.  He 
is  one  of  us.  His  problem  of  sorrow  is  our  problem.  And 
he  would  make  a  suggestion.  The  suggestion  is  that  we 
endeavor  to  discover  ourselves  in  our  sorrow.  The  psalmist 
was  not  troubled  by  the  physchologists.  When  he  wrote 
his  song  of  sorrow,  God  and  his  sorrow  were  uppermost 
in  his  mind.  A  captive,  doubtless,  up  in  the  hill  country 
of  Dan  or  Cgesarea  Philippi.  Taunting  enemies  on  all 
sides,  a  conscious  fellowship  with  Jehovah  within  his  soul, 
but  the  sight  of  impotent  idol  worship  all  about  him,  he 
surely  had  cause  for  sorrow.  It  was  spiritual  sorrow.  He 
thought  of  the  hart  during  the  prolonged  season  of  drought. 
Thirsty  and  distressed,  the  weary  animal  sought  the  brooks, 
that  it  might  have  relief.  The  psalmist  remembered  one 
of  these  poor  creatures  which  he  had  seen.  Its  sides 
heaved  with  the  anguish  of  its  thirst.  That  illustrated  the 
way  he  felt  with  reference  to  his  separation  from  the 
house  of  the  Lord.  To  his  thirsty  soul  Jehovah  was  ^^the 
fountain  of  life,"  a  living  God  as  contrasted  to  the  poor, 
useless  substitutes  to  which  his  captors  bowed  down.  Why 
could  he  not  have  been  content  with  the  religious  satis- 
factions where  he  was?  Why  not?  Ask  the  hart  panting 
after  the  water  brooks  why  a  drink  from  the  salty  Dead 
Sea  would  not  do  as  well  as  from  a  spring  in  the  moun- 
tains. Ask  of  the  bleeding  soldier  on  distant  battlefield 
crying  out  for  nurse  and  surgeon  why  the  suggestion  of 
a  good  time  in  the  near-by  city  when  the  battle  is  over 
will  not  satisfy.  The  psalmist,  an  alien  prisoner  where 
gods  were  worshiped  who  did  not  satisfy,  wanted  his 
God,  Jehovah.  This  was  his  need.  The  lack  of  God's 
presence  was  the  cause  of  his  sorrow.  As  a  sailor  afloat 
on  a  life-raft  for  days  without  fresh  water,  so  he  thirsted. 
Has  the  need  in  your  sorrow  ever  made  God  as  necessary 
as  that? 

Received  at  Court.     Modern  church  methods  have  not 
added  anything  to  the  ancient's  conception  of  the  signifi- 


COMFORT  IN  SORROW  65 

cance  of  appearing  before  God.  Three  times  a  year  the 
Jews  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  appear  before  God  in  the 
temple.  The  feast  of  the  passover,  the  feast  of  harvest, 
and  the  feast  of  ingathering  demanded  of  every  male  Jew 
his  appearance  in  the  temple.  And  each  time  were  there 
the  joyous  psalms,  the  fellowship  of  devout  pilgrims,  the 
sacrifice,  and  the  worship.  An  impression  was  made  which, 
repeated  three  times  annually,  soon  plowed  a  deep  furrow 
into  the  mind.  So  in  the  loneliness  of  captivity  the  yearn- 
ing for  the  sound  of  the  temple  musicians  and  the  mystery 
of  the  temple  itself  predominates.  Sorrow  centers  its  long- 
ing on  that  which  is  dearest.  In  the  temple  the  presence 
of  God  would  be  felt.  While  men  stood  in  a  hushed 
silence  he  would  manifest  himself.  Then,  as  one  refreshed 
by  pure,  cool  water  after  a  weary  thirst,  the  soul  rises  to 
ecstatic  joy  and  the  life  is  reattuned.  It  was  a  great 
event.  Received  as  royalty  in  the  court  of  the  great  King ! 
No  wonder  the  psalmist  sorrowed.  The  religion  offered 
him  by  those  who  knew  not  his  God  was  too  shallow  for 
consideration.  Mayhap  he  had  not  appreciated  his  oppor- 
tunities when  available.  Far  be  it  from  us  of  to-day  to 
throw  stones.  Not  only  glass,  but  thin  glass  at  that,  is  the 
house  in  which  we  live.  While  we  may  not  attach  as  much 
significance  as  did  the  psalmist  to  the  privilege  of  the 
presence  of  God,  our  opportunities  are  more  varied  and 
the  fellowship  offered  is  more  real.  We  are  accustomed  to 
seek  God's  presence  personally.  Our  admittance  to  his 
court  is  all  our  own.  We  ourselves  must  qualify  "to  see 
God.''  And  more  of  us  than  the  religious  census  enumer- 
ates are  striving  in  one  way  or  another  to  realize  the 
presence  of  the  Most  High.  Sorrow  usually  is  the  experi- 
ence that  helps  us  into  the  presence  of  God.  We  need 
comfort  then,  ^nd  somehow  we  look  beyond  the  strength 
of  human  beings  when  our  sorrow  becomes  acute.  Regard- 
less of  creed,  nearly  all  men  long  for  God's  presence  when 
sorrow  overtakes  them. 

The  Good  Old  Days 

Hard  Luck  Stories.     Another  man's  discussion  of  his 
sorrow  is  to  most  of  us  a  hard-luck  story.     Why  should 


66     HEAKT  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

he  burden  the  world  with  the  tale  of  what  disturbs  his 
life?  Does  he  not  know  that  every  one  has  his  share  of 
sorrows  ?  His  tears  are  his  own  aif air.  We  are  accustomed 
to  greet  him  with  the  expression,  '^I  have  troubles  of  my 
own;  don^t  mention  yours."  But  when  the  sorrow  is  our 
own  it  is  a  different  story.  Something  unusual  has  oc- 
curred. The  world  should  give  heed.  Perhaps  the  general 
scheme  of  the  universe  has  slipped  a  cog.  Possibly  God 
has  dropped  out  of  the  affairs  of  men.  The  advice  which 
we  offered  to  our  neighbors  seems  inadequate  for  our  own 
need.  There  is  a  reproach  in  the  look  of  those  whom  we 
burden  with  our  sorrow  akin  to  the  taunt  hurled  at  the 
psalmist,  "Where  is  he,  if  not  at  hand  in  the  hour  of 
sorrow?"  For  a  time  we  are  captive  among  the  enemies. 
Our  failure  to  take  our  own  advice  looks  like  an  admission 
of  its  uselessness.  The  joyousness  that  has  been  ours  makes 
the  contrast  of  our  present  state  of  mind  the  more  bitter. 
The  psalmist  "poured  out  his  soul,"  for  he  conceived  of 
his  soul  as  a  thing  apart  from  his  whole  "self  ^  and  thought 
of  it  as  acting  upon  his  "self"  from  without.  Our  con- 
ception places  the  soul  at  the  vital  center  of  life.  We 
become  all  "broken  up"  over  our  sorrow.  With  the  singer 
we  sit  down  to  recount  the  good  old  days.  He  was  accus- 
tomed to  lead  bands  of  happy  pilgrims  up  to  Jerusalem  for 
the  feasts.  The  songs  of  Zion  had  burst  merrily  from  his 
lips.  The  joy  that  was  overwhelms  him  as  he  recalls  it. 
And  out  of  the  bitterness  of  his  sorrow  and  the  faith  that 
is  not  yet  spent  he  gains  new  strength.  Notwithstanding 
all  that  is,  he  will  yet  praise  God  for  the  help  which  being 
in  his  presence  gives. 

''God's  in  His  Heaven/'  In  spite  of  a  cloudy,  drizzly 
Saturday  the  sun  bursts  forth  in  all  of  its  glory  on  Sunday 
morning.  Clear  days  for  a  long  stretch  dull  the  apprecia- 
tion of  the  brightness  of  the  sky.  The  misfortune  of  hav- 
ing drifted  away  from  God  is  felt  keenly  in  times  of  sorrow. 
God  somehow  is  of  more  significance  when  apparently  a 
bit  out  of  reach.  The  clearing  of  the  mind  when  sorrow 
breaks  into  tears  stings  to  consciousness  life  as  it  really  is. 
The  coating  of  gayety,  self-deception,  and  similar  attempts 
at  camouflage  thin  out  and  disappear,  leaving  the  spul  bare 


COMFOET  IN  SOEROW  67 

and  sensitive.  The  memory  of  days  of  fellowship  with 
God  comes  as  a  smarting  rebuke.  The  sorrow  intensifies 
what  faith  might  have  wrought  had  the  soul  been  true. 
The  realization  of  this  brings  with  it  the  difficulty  of 
recognizing  that  our  personal  experience  does  not  alter 
the  truth  of  the  mill-girPs  song : 

"God's  in  his  heaven — 
All's  right  with  the  world!" 

When  this  fact  is  recognized,  the  way  out  of  the  hours  of 
gloom  and  tears  becomes  more  clearly  outlined.  When 
faith  follows  cheerfully  the  lead  of  God,  the  memory  of 
former  delights  gives  the  needed  strength  to  go  through 
the  ^^deep  waters  of  the  present.'^  Has  not  the  memory  of 
God's  goodness  in  other  days  made  the  garden  of  sorrow 
to  blossom  with  lilies  of  hope?  The  long  look,  the  cor- 
rective perspective,  comes  then.  "A  day  is  as  a  thousand 
years''  and  the  events  of  the  bitter  hour  do  not  make  up 
the  entirety  of  life. 

Why  Cast  Down?  A  well-balanced  life  notes  carefully 
the  counters  on  both  sides  of  the  scales.  Like  the  see-saw 
of  childhood,  life  should  be  a  series  of  adjustments  in 
balancing.  Sometimes  we  allow  sorrow  unduly  to  depress 
us.  Is  it  out  of  order  in  these  days  of  investigating  com- 
missions to  project  an  inquiry  into  our  own  mental  state  ? 
The  analysis  of  our  feelings  often  helps  us  to  overcome 
them.  At  least  it  puts  us  in  a  position  to  know  what  must 
be  mastered.  "Why  art  thou  cast  down,  0  my  soul?" 
was  not  an  idle  query  to  the  psalmist  or  an  extra  phrase  to 
fill  a  measure.  It  was  a  part  of  the  process  wherewith  he 
was  lifting  himself  out  of  the  depths  of  his  sorrow.  It 
almost  looks  as  though  he  had  overestimated  the  weight  of 
his  sorrow.  That  bump  when  we  stumbled  up  the  stairs 
raised  a  tremendous  cry,  but  mother's  kiss  put  us  quickly 
into  the  running  again.  Folks  are  much  alike.  The 
psalmist  still  had  his  hope  in  God.  We  have  the  promises 
of  God  as  well  as  our  past  knowledge  of  his  favor.  "Job's 
Comforters"  in  times  of  sorrow  are  an  encumbrance  to  the 
earth,  as  are  those  who  hold  a  funeral  service  every  time 
they  visit  the  sick.    Far  more  useful  are  those  choice  in- 


68     HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

dividuals  who  come  in  to  find  out  the  "why^'  of  it  all  and 
then  help  ns  correct  the  causes.  A  bit  brusque  we  find  them 
sometimes,  and  not  overwelcome.  But  who  welcomes  the 
stunning  blow  between  the  eyes  that  enables  the  life-guard 
to  snatch  us  from  the  undertow  and  drag  us  safely  to 
shore?  Many  of  our  "soul-cast-down"  experiences  are  un- 
necessary. We  see  this  for  others.  They  see  it  for  us. 
Why  not  become  introspective  enough  to  see  it  for  our- 
selves ?  The  battletorn  soldier  grows  restive  in  his  hospital 
cot.  But  not  because  of  sorrow  over  his  misfortune.  No 
self-pity  for  him.  His  sorrow  is  all  because  he  cannot  at 
once  return  to  the  trenches  and  fierce  bloody  warfare. 
Psalmist-like,  he  has  a  hope.  And  it  keeps  him  going 
until  he  is  patched  up  again  and  fit  for  battle.  Personal 
sorrows  are  minimized  these  days.  The  greater  sorrow 
of  a  race  at  war  has  overshadowed  all  else.  How  great  a 
boon  just  now  is  the  way  of  the  psalmist:  "Why  art  thou 
cast  down  ?    Hope  thou  in  God  V 

The  Way  Out 

''First  Aid''  for  Sorrow.  Sorrow  feeds  upon  itself.  If 
we  are  to  expect  the  greatest  help  from  God,  we  must  start 
by  using  all  the  self-help  of  which  we  are  capable.  The 
writer  of  the  forty-second  psalm  would  doubtless  have 
hesitated  to  give  lectures  on  "Methods  of  Overcoming  Sor- 
row." Yet  his  own  experiences  set  forth  in  song  present 
an  eSicient  method.  Unlike  many  an  expert  who  presents 
theories  which  he  has  not  proven,  this  singer  of  Israel 
makes  his  own  sorrow  lighten  our  pathway  in  similar 
experiences.  The  analyzing  of  our  feelings  is  the  first  step. 
Can  we  find  a  cure  for  our  sorrow  if  we  do  not  determine 
its  cause?  This  leads  at  once  to  a  going  over  of  what 
God  has  done  for  us  in  times  past.  This  gives  a  basis  for 
comparing  our  lot  with  the  lot  of  others.  And  who  yet 
has  been  willing  to  take  up  another's  sorrow  in  the  place 
of  his  own  ?  The  deaf  grieve  for  the  blind,  and  the  blind 
pity  the  deaf.  Each  has  acquired  a  philosophy  which 
makes  easier  the  handicapped  journey.  Both  blind  and 
deaf  have  realized  the  necessity  of  overcoming  their  feelings 


COMFORT  IN  SORROW  69 

in  the  matter.  So  must  we.  The  heroism  which  they 
manifest  drives  us  to  the  conclusion  that  we  must  pull  our- 
selves out  of  our  despair.  Away  from  friends  and  loved 
ones,  the  psalmist  listened  to  the  torrents  and  eddies  of  the 
Jordan.  To  him  they  typified  the  flood  of  misfortunes 
which  he  thinks  God  is  sending  upon  him.  All  troubles 
came  from  God,  in  his  thinking,  as  well  as  all  things  good. 
He  is  overwhelmed. 

"Yet  Jehovah  will  command  his  lovingkindness  in  the  day- 
time; 
And  in  the  night  his  song  shall  he  with  me. 
Even  a  prayer  unto  the  God  of  my  life." 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  tell  of  sorrow  when  the  final  word 
is  "victory.''  The  telling  shames  the  crowd  who  "enjoy 
being  miserable,"  and  their  number  is  almost  incalculable. 
Victory  sounds  in  the  psalmist's  measures  because  he  helped 
God  to  help  him  by  doing  all  he  could  do  by  way  of  prepara- 
tion. 

Going  to  Headquarters.  Many  a  battle  has  been  lost 
because  subordinates  have  failed  to  go  to  headquarters  for 
guidance  and  plans.  To  take  our  sorrow  to  God  and  ask 
"Why?"  in  the  spirit  of  "Thy  will  be  done"  is  no  easy 
task.  It  necessitates  the  laying  aside  of  a  critical  attitude 
toward  God.  It  involves  a  readiness  to  accept  the  result 
of  the  reasoning  together.  It  means  that  we  come  per- 
plexed, not  demanding  explanation.  This  was  the  psalm- 
ist's attitude.  God  was  to  him  one  who  should  protect 
him.  Had  God  forgotten  him?  He  would  inquire  and 
find  out.  A  Jehovah  worshiper  ought  not  to  be  moping 
around  at  a  disadvantage  before  taunting  idol  worshipers. 
Moreover,  the  process  hurt;  it  was  a  sword  in  his  bones, 
the  seat  of  pain.  To  know  one's  God  is  able  to  deliver 
from  trouble,  and  yet  no  relief  appears,  is  a  hard  matter 
to  explain  to  the  scoffer.  He  would  talk  it  over  with  God 
himself.  0  wise  man  of  ancient  time,  who  taught  you  the 
method  of  the  Master?  For  so  Jesus  directed  men  to  do. 
In  his  presence  are  comfort,  help,  and  understanding.  In 
the  psalmist's  resolution  to  go  to  headquarters  with  his 
sorrow  is  the  prelude  to  our  latter-day  hymn : 


70     HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

"Are  we  weak  and  heavy  laden. 

Cumbered  with  a  load  of  care? 
Precious  Saviour,  still  our  refuge, 

Take  it  to  the  Lord  in  prayer. 
Do  thy  friends  despise,  forsake  thee? 

Take  it  to  the  Lord  in  prayer; 
In  his  arms  he'll  take  and  shield  thee, 

Thou  wilt  find  a  solace  there." 

The  Father's  Knowledge.  The  child  lacks  the  wisdom 
of  his  father.  He  thinks  in  terms  of  his  own  needs,  while 
the  father  thinks  in  terms  of  the  child^s  development.  A 
man  sounding  forth  the  message  of  God  once  said:  "My 
thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  ways  my 
ways,  saith  Jehovah.  For  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than 
the  earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher  than  your  ways,  and 
my  thoughts  than  your  thoughts^^  (Isa.  55.  8,  9).  Yet, 
as  the  presence  of  the  father  helps  the  child  to  become 
more  like  the  father,  so  does  a  consciousness  of  the  pres- 
ence of  God  help  us  to  think  through  our  troubles  from 
God's  viewpoint.  Especially  is  this  true  since  Jesus  Christ 
came  into  the  world.  We  are  apt  to  expect  relief  from  sor- 
row too  quickly.  It  takes  time.  Our  entire  nature  has 
to  recover  from  the  shock.  God  knows  this.  He  gives  us 
the  needed  comfort  and  gradually  leads  us  back  to  the 
normal  experiences  once  more.  Are  we  the  same?  No, 
not  if  we  have  put  our  faith  absolutely  in  God.  We  are 
richer  in  experience,  stronger  in  faith,  and  more  abundant 
in  our  knowledge  of  his  fatherly  goodness.  Our  renewed 
praise  of  God  begins  before  the  dark  clouds  lift.  As  we 
emerge  into  the  light  of  the  day  our  soul  is  aglow  with 
the  sunrise  of  a  steadfast  purpose.  Come  what  may  in 
the  to-morrows  yet  uncalendared,  we  will  sing  with  the 
captive  on  Hermon: 

"Why  art  thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul? 
And  why  art  thou  disquieted  within  me? 
Hope  thou  in  God;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him, 
Who  is  the  help  of  my  countenance,  and  my  God." 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

What  effect  has  sorrow  on  the  mind?     On  the  body? 
Can  you  prove  that  sorrow  is  common  to  all  people? 


COMFORT  IN  SORROW  71 

How  does  the  way  we  meet  sorrow  affect  its  influence 
on  us? 

Why  do  we  cry  out  for  God  in  time  of  sorrow  ? 

In  what  way  did  Jesus  minister  to  the  sorrows  of  life? 

What  are  some  of  the  ways  in  which  we  may  help  our- 
selves in  sorrow? 

How  does  a  consciousness  of  the  presence  of  God  help? 

To  what  extent  may  we  have  that  assurance  of  his 
presence  ? 

In  what  sorrows  have  we  found  God  a  comfort? 

How  has  our  own  experience  enabled  us  to  comfort 
others  ? 

What  demand  does  the  sorrow  of  others  make  upon  a 
Christian  to  know  and  understand  the  way  out? 


CHAPTER  VII 

GOD  OUR  REFUGE 

additional  reading,  psalm  139.  1-13 

The  Foety-Sixth  Psalm 

"God  is  our  refuge  and  strength, 
A  very  present  help  in  trouble. 

Therefore  will  we  not  fear,  though  the  earth  do  change. 
And  though  the  mountain  be  shaken  into  the  heart  of  the 

seas; 
Though  the  waters  thereof  roar  and  be  troubled. 
Though  the  mountains  tremble  with  the  swelling  thereof. 

(Selah.) 

"There  is  a  river,  the  streams  whereof  make  glad  the  city  of 
God, 
The  holy  place  of  the  tabernacles  of  the  Most  High. 
God  is  in  the  midst  of  her;  she  shall  not  be  moved: 
God  will  help  her,  and  that  right  early. 
The  nations  raged,  the  kingdoms  were  moved: 
He  uttered  his  voice,  the  earth  melted. 
Jehovah  of  hosts  is  with  us; 
The  God  of  Jacob  is  our  refuge.  (Selah.) 

"Come,  behold  the  works  of  Jehovah, 
What  desolations  he  hath  made  in  the  earth. 
He  maketh  wars  to  cease  unto  the  end  of  the  earth; 
He  breaketh  the  bow,  and  cutteth  the  spear  in  sunder; 
He  burneth  the  chariots  in  the  fire. 
Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God: 
I  will  be  exalted  among  the  nations,  I  will  be  exalted  in 

the  earth. 
Jehovah  of  hosts  is  with  us; 
The  God  of  Jacob  is  our  refuge.  (Selah.)" 

What  About  the  Prophets? 

Among  the  Jingoists.  Wise  ones  who  know  past,  pres- 
ent, and  future  are  ever  with  us.  The  more  ignorant 
they  are  the  more  insistent  is  their  cry  to  be  heard.   Soap 

72 


GOD  OUR  REFUGE  73 

boxes  serve  as  their  forums  on  innumerable  street  corners. 
Crowds  with  widely  varying  heart  hunger  listen  to  their 
prophecies  with  eager  hope.  Nor  is  their  fraternity 
limited  to  the  curbstone  university.  Throughout  the  life 
of  any  city  they  may  be  found  in  goodly  numbers.  Their 
dress  is  in  accordance  with  their  audience,  their  manner 
of  speech  akin  to  the  society  in  which  they  move.  But 
their  message  is  practically  the  same.  Everything  eco- 
nomically is  wrong.  It  is  getting  worse.  Unless  the 
oppressed  rise  up,  the  future  will  be  unbearable.  The 
nation  is  going  to  the  dogs.  Religion  has  lost  its  flavor. 
Dark,  dismal,  and  full  of  despair  are  the  days  ahead.  Fre- 
quently this  type  of  prophet  seeks  popular  notice  by 
extreme  statement.  His  message  is  not  a  fundamental 
conviction,  the  outcome  of  his  life  and  thought.  Like  the 
gloomy  individual  who  scatters  gloom  wherever  he  goes, 
the  jingo  prophets  leave  behind  them  a  discontent  without 
any  remedy  for  it.  Because  of  some  defect  in  their  own 
make-up  they  endeavor  to  "make  the  world  bitter'^  for 
everyone  with  whom  they  come  in  contact.  They  are  the 
"joy-killers'^  of  the  earth.  From  the  beginning  their 
brood  has  made  the  wheels  of  progress  drag.  Purely 
destructive  in  their  viewpoint  of  men  and  things,  oppor- 
tunists for  their  own  advantage,  they  hold  at  attention 
multitudes  who  otherwise  would  be  on  the  march.  The 
universe,  man,  God — everything  is  out  of  joint.  They  nail 
a  placard  with  the  legend  "Icabod"  on  to  the  whole  busi- 
ness and  move  on  to  a  new  soap  box — after  selling  some 
printed  copies  of  their  speech. 

Wholesome  Isaiahs.  Welcome  the  prophet  of  con- 
structive progress !  May  his  tribe  increase.  Man  needs 
an  uplift  and  outlook.  He  needs  to  know  things  which 
he  can  make  count.  He  wants  to  know  how  he  may  fortify 
his  future  days,  not  merely  how  he  can  spoil  those  of 
others.  He  is  hungry  for  a  philosophy  of  life  that  is 
workable,  that  takes  in  other  folks,  himself,  and  God. 
If  economic  conditions  are  wrong,  what  can  he  do  to  right 
them?  If  he  became  a  landowner,  would  he  still  en- 
courage the  soap-box  oratory?  The  nation  may  be  going 
down  hill.     If  so,  why?    What  is  his  contribution  to  the 


74    HEART  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

saving  of  the  situation?  It  is  his  nation,  after  all.  And 
as  for  religion,  he  needs  religion.  If  it  is  out  at  the 
elbows,  where  ds  the  fault,  with  religion  or  with  men? 
There  are  prophets  who  bring  hope  to  men  who  question 
thus.  How  Isaiah  of  old  answered  the  yearning  of  the 
noble  spirits  of  his  day  in  this  respect !  Of  course  every- 
one does,  not  want  a  message  that  makes  a  demand  upon 
the  hearer,  but  among  the  crowd  are  those  who  listen  to 
the  way  pointed  out.  These,  like  the  Jews  whose  spirit 
is  reflected  in  the  psalm,  give  expression  to  their  gratitude 
when  the  morning  of  realization  dawns  clear  and  bright. 
The  optimistic  brother  who  bases  his  hope  on  experience 
and  vision  and  high  ideals  is  a  choice  addition  to  any 
group  of  men.  The  prophet  whose  utterances  are  based 
on  sound  principles  helps  to  readjust  economic  injustice, 
to  stabilize  the  life  of  the  nation,  to  revive  religion  from 
a  death  of  dogma  to  a  life  of  experience.  The  singer  of 
our  song  was  one  of  this  forward-looking  band.  His  is 
the  spirit  of  Edward  O'Shaughnessy  when  he  sings : 

"We  are  the  music  makers, 

And  we  are  the  dreamers  of  dreams, 
Wandering  by  lone  sea  breakers, 
And  sitting  by  desolate  streams; 

World  losers  and  world  forsakers. 

On  whom  the  pale  moon  gleams; 
Yet  we  are  the  movers  and  shakers 

Of  the  world  forever,  it  seems. 

One  man  with  a  dream,  at  pleasure. 
Shall  go  forth  and  conquer  a  crown, 

And  three  with  a  new  song's  measure 
Can  trample  a  kingdom  down." 

Stating  a  Proposition.  No  one  has  yet  discovered  a 
way  of  keeping  poise  in  the  midst  of  all  sorts  of  disaster 
without  strength  other  than  his  own.  "Isles  of  safety" 
are  needed  by  all.  The  psalmist  rejoices  in  God  as  his 
refuge,  and  not  only  his,  but  the  refuge  of  a  city  full  of 
men,  women,  and  children.  What  a  city  it  was !  Jeru- 
salem, the  center  of  the  Jehovah  worship.  In  the  presence 
of  an  attacking  enemy,  here  was   safety.     Why?     The 


GOD  OUR  REFUGE  75 

presence  of  Jehovah  was  there.  With  him  in  the  midst 
of  the  city  and  the  people,  what  a  ground  of  confidence 
was  theirs !  Jehovah  has  just  proven  himself  ^'a  very 
present  help  in  trouble/^  After  that  demonstration  of 
his  protection,  what  if  earthquakes  do  come,  what  if  the 
nations  of  the  earth  do  become  embroiled  in  unimaginable 
conflict?  "God  is  our  refuge  and  strength."  He  will 
protect  us  and  set  things  right.  The  psalmist  sings  in 
terms  of  community  religion.  It  is  national  safety,  na- 
tional faith,  national  trust  in  God,  in  which  the  individual 
participates  because  he  is  blessed  in  being  a  unit  in  the 
community.  Why  fear  with  such  solidity  of  belief  ?  Why 
not  rather  say  to  posterity,  "Link  your  community  life  up 
with  God?  You  as  individuals  will  then  be  buttressed  by 
a  hope  and  faith  in  God  which  is  shared  by  all;  God  will 
then  be  able  to  bless  you  more  abundantly  than  now  you 
permit  him/' 

By  Way  of  Illustration 

Our  Home  Town.  The  true  citizen  has  a  high  estimate 
of  his  native  town.  No  one  is  able  to  convince  him  dif- 
ferently. This  conviction  goes  with  him  throughout  life. 
The  home  town  ever  holds  high  place  in  our  thought.  Its 
way  of  paving  the  streets,  its  alertness  in  adopting  electric 
lighting,  its  fine  park,  its  excellent  department  stores,  its 
noble  institutions — why,  there  could  not  be  a  more  perfect 
place  to  live.  Its  influence  on  our  lives  is  mixed  into 
our  earnest  conversations  with  friends  and  is  the  keynote 
of  our  more  public  utterances.  The  familiar  scenes  take 
form  in  our  dreams  and  our  very  slumber  is  made  sweet 
by  holy  memories.  We  hear  the  murmur  of  near-by 
streams  and  find  rest  in  that  deep  peace  which,  in  far- 
away days,  we  knew  amid  the  hills  of  home.  We  can 
understand  the  heart  of  the  psalmist  when  he  sang  a  song 
of  holy  memories: 

"There  is  a  river,  the  streams  whereof  make  glad  the  city 
of  God, 
The  holy  place  of  the  tabernacles  of  the  Most  High. 
God  is  in  the  midst  of  her." 


76     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

The  Awakening.  No  facile  writer,  however  realistic, 
can  portray  the  difference  between  our  town  as  we 
dreamed  it  and  as  we  found  it  when  we  revisited  it  after 
twenty  years.  We  are  glad  that  the  many  folks  whom  we 
regaled  with  its  wonders  did  not  accompany  us.  The 
whole  town  seems  to  have  suffered  a  shrinkage.  The  won- 
derful hotel  opposite  the  railroad  station  looks  like  a 
remodeled  barn  without  much  paint  used  in  the  process. 
The  streets  are  remarkably  narrow.  The  noble  shade 
trees  which  we  loved  are  not  as  large  as  we  remembered 
them.  What  a  little  old  shack  the  courthouse  is!  And 
the  swimming  hole — well,  the  less  said  the  better.  Surely, 
we  never  got  so  mussed  up  and  dirty  as  the  urchins  found 
diving  from  a  slippery,  slimy  bank  into  a  most  uninviting 
coffee-colored  pool.  Something  must  be  wrong.  But  there 
is  nothing  wrong.  We  have  developed.  We  now  see 
things  with  the  eyes  of  maturity.  Bread  and  molasses  are 
as  sweet  as  in  the  days  of  childhood,  but  the  drip  of  the 
molasses  through  a  hole  in  the  bread  does  not  make  the 
appeal  it  once  did.  The  reality  of  the  town  is  unchanged. 
The  sterling  character  of  the  people  is  the  same.  Faith  in 
God  is  the  same.  The  things  which  we  forgot  to  boast 
about  all  come  back  to  us  as  we  worship  again  in  the  old 
church.  It  is  not  as  magnificent  as  we  remembered  it, 
but  the  spirit  of  God  is  there.  The  stained-glass  windows 
with  the  names  of  the  soldiers  slain  in  battle  let  through 
the  sunlight  broken  into  a  glory  which  says,  "I  died  for 
you."  The  tablet  erected  to  a  fireman  killed  while  rescu- 
ing an  old  lady,  still  proclaims  its  message  of  sacrificial 
service.  The  externals  of  the  town  may  have  changed  a  bit 
with  our  new  perspective,  but  as  we  crowd  with  the 
others  about  the  altar  to  receive  the  symbols  of  the  broken 
body  and  shed  blood  of  our  Lord  and  Master  Jesus  Christ 
we  are  convinced,  with  the  psalmist,  "God  is  in  the 
midst  of  her." 

The  Day  of  Testing.  True  religion,  however  it  is  ex- 
pressed in  varying  creeds,  unites  men  in  times  of  great 
moral  crisis.  Catholic,  Jew,  and  Protestant  unite  to  fight 
a  common  moral  foe.  In  such  a  battle  differences  are  for- 
gotten and  the  common  fact  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  the 


GOD  OUR  REFUGE  77 

refuge  of  all  predominates.  What  religion  the  community 
actually  possesses  suddenly  emerges  in  a  community  con- 
sciousness and  a  fight  is  waged  that  ends  in  victory.  Tliis 
underlies  the  stability  of  our  town.  We  may  be  unable 
to  understand  or  accept  each  other's  explanation  of  his 
relationship  to  God,  but  we  are  keen  enough  to  recog- 
nize the  elements  of  righteousness  in  his  viewpoint  and 
living.  Our  aim  is  common ;  our  thinking  and  our  methods 
of  approach  are  at  odds.  Our  town  is  great,  after  all. 
Perhaps  not  for  the  reasons  of  which  we  bragged,  but  for 
better  reasons.  The  Spirit  of  God  manifesting  himself 
in  righteousness  is  among  our  folks.  Here  is  our  refuge 
and  strength.  Here  is  a  foothold  to  take  another  step  for- 
ward. Here  are  hope  and  faith  and  greater  possibilities. 
No  wonder  the  psalmist  grew  exultant.  "God  is  in  the 
midst  of  her;  she  shall  not  be  moved,"  he  sang  of  his 
Jerusalem.  United  faith  had  enabled  Jehovah  to  give 
them  the  victory  against  great  odds.  Let  the  nations 
roar  and  the  kingdoms  stir  to  battle!  Zion,  city  of 
David,  is  secure.  God  has  but  to  speak,  and  the  earth 
melts  and  its  proud  inhabitants  are  scattered  away.  What 
a  God  of  battles  is  Jehovah !  Our  father's  God,  the  God 
of  Jacob,  is  our  security!  Would  anyone  fail  to  rejoice 
in  his  home  town  when  he  could  sing  thus  about  it? 
Are  we  a  part  in  making  such  a  song  possible  in  our  day  ? 

Blown  Straws  Indicating  Direction 

Revising  Estimates.  Increase  of  knowledge  ought  to 
result  in  revised  estimates  of  folks  and  things.  An  actual 
experience  has  broadened  the  outlook  of  the  psalmist. 
God's  manifested  protection  of  Jerusalem  and  its  people 
was  sufficient  data  on  which  to  base  a  hypothesis.  He 
asks  those  hearing  his  song  to  look  and  see  for  themselves 
what  God  has  done.  Especially  let  those  nations  who  have 
participated  in  Israel's  history  as  enemies  take  notice. 
Let  them  also  take  warning  from  what  they  see.  What 
God  has  done  to  the  Assyrians  he  will  do  to  other  nations 
until  warfare  shall  cease.  Jehovah  worship  must  prevail 
in  the  earth.  Those  accepting  Jehovah  as  their  God  will 
participate  in  it.    God  and  his  righteous  principles  of  life 


78     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

must  prevail.  His  will  must  be  done  by  men.  Only  then 
will  there  be  any  lasting  peace.  The  process  may  be 
costly  and  bloody,  but  it  seems  to  be  the  only  way.  The 
real  prophets  are  right.  And  the  psalmist  urges  all  peo- 
ples to  rally  around  them.  If  it  is  a  good  doctrine  for 
his  town,  why  not  for  other  towns  ?  His  town-ideal,  "God 
is  in  the  niiclst  of  her,^^  he  would  have  other  towns  adopt. 
Hear  him  as  he  himself  joins  the  ranks  of  the  prophets  and 
makes  Jehovah  declare: 

"Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God: 
I  will  be  exalted  in  the  earth." 

The  Joy  of  Jerusalem.  If  a  crowd  will  go  wild  over  the 
victory  of  their  football  team,  what  must  be  the  feelings 
of  a  city  full  of  folks  just  saved  from  death  from  a  ruth- 
less enemy?  The  grewsome  particulars  of  what  defeat 
under  such  circumstances  means,  are  familiar  to  everyone 
in  our  day — brutality  and  ruthlessness,  fire  and  pestilence, 
old  men  and  little  children  haggled,  women  and  girls 
debauched  and  left  to  die  of  exposure.  Jerusalem  had 
escaped  all  this.  Well  might  her  people  rejoice.  They 
did  rejoice.  And  they  praised  God  for  his  goodness  to 
them.  They  realized  in  a  new  way  the  value  of  their 
loyalty  to  him.  Their  faith  enlarged.  The  fact  that 
righteous  citizens  make  a  righteous  city  well  pleasing  in 
God's  sight  was  brought  from  the  realm  of  the  ideal  into 
the  reality  of  everyday  experience.  Count  the  towns  now 
free  from  the  liquor  traffic  which  rejoice  as  did  Jerusalem. 
Enumerate  the  communities  where  commercialized  vice  is 
no  longer  allowed  to  lift  its  head.  Look  about  and  note  the 
towns  where  woman-  and  child-labor  laws  are  giving  prac- 
tical promise  of  a  sturdier  posterity.  There  was  a  reason 
why  Jerusalem  stood.  There  is  a  reason  for  the  joy  of 
our  own  towns  saved  from  the  insidious  enemies  who,  in 
the  guise  of  pleasure,  destroy  our  citizenship.  "God  is  in 
the  midst  of  her,"  is  the  grateful  refrain  of  this  after- 
the-battle  lyric.  If  we  can  say  as  much  for  our  town, 
it  will  be  possible  to  gain  the  same  sort  of  victory  and 
to  sing  a  like  lyric  of  happy  community  life. 

Safe  for  Democracy,     It  is  hypocritical  cant  for  us  to 


GOD  OUR  REFUGE  79 

cry,  "God  save  the  heathen,"  when  our  own  communities 
are  without  God  and  abominably  sinful.  Only  the  living 
according  to  high  ideals  in  the  homeland  makes  possible 
the  sending  of  high  ideals  abroad.  For  what  sort  of 
democracy  do  we  want  the  world  made  safe?  Are  we 
willing  to  demonstrate  economic  justice?  The  ungodly 
points  a  finger  of  scorn  at  the  divergence  between  our  creed 
and  practice  at  this  most  vital  problem  in  practical  Chris- 
tianity. Will  we  take  brotherhood  away  from  the  rhetori- 
cians and  help  it  to  walk  in  flesh  and  blood  freely  among 
all  men?  The  trenches  have  done  this.  Can  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  do  less  ?  Can  sacrifice  be  given  the  broad, 
free  scope  in  undiscriminating  service  that  it  has  in  our 
songs  and  the  "finally,  brethren,"  of  our  Sunday  exhorta- 
tion? For  what  sort  of  democracy  do  we  want  the  world 
made  safe?  The  psalmist  knew  what  he  would  propose. 
It  would  be  a  democracy  wherein  all  men  recognized 
God  and  did  his  will.  It  would  be  a  democracy  which 
exalted  God  and  therefore  caused  love  to  prevail  among 
men  of  every  color  and  race.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  moving 
in  the  hearts  of  men  to-day  as  in  early  times.  Could  we 
do  better  than  permit  God's  Spirit  to  prevail,  take  the 
course  of  events  out  of  our  blundering  wisdom  and  make 
the  world  safe  for  democracy  by  making  it  the  kingdom 
of  God  on  earth?  That  day  is  certainly  coming,  for, 
through  our  night,  "mornward  the  stars  move  on."  With 
radiant  faith,  let  us  sing  with  Gerald  Massey : 

Though  hearts  brood  o'er  the  past,  our  eyes 

With  shining  futures  glisten; 
Lo!  now  the  dawn  bursts  up  the  skies: 

Lean  out  your  souls  and  listen! 

The  earth  rolls  freedom's  radiant  way 
And  ripens  with  her  sorrow; 

The  bars  of  hell  are  strong  to-day, 
But  Christ  shall  rise  to-morrow. 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

What  effect  do  "gloom  peddlers"  have  upon  our  ideals 
and  relationships  with  others? 


80    HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

Compare  the  usefulness  of  constructive  optimists  like 
Isaiah  and  the  psalmist  with  the  prophesying  of  jingoists  ? 

Had  the  psalmist  and  his  people  any  greater  need  of 
of  an  unassailable  refuge  than  we  have? 

To  what  extent  have  we  made  our  "home  town"  as  bad 
as  it  is? 

To  what  extent  have  we  made  our  "home  town''  as  good 
as  it  is? 

Are  we  alive  to  our  privilege  of  helping  to  make  it 
possible  to  say,  "God  is  in  the  midst  of  her"? 

In  what  way  does  our  psalm  help  us  to  see  the  real 
values  in  community  life? 

In  what  ways  does  "individual"  religion  fail  to  make 
a  community  righteous? 

Discuss  the  customs,  habits,  and  life  of  "our  town" 
which,  if  adopted  universally,  would  "make  the  world  safe 
for  democracy." 

For  what  sort  of  democracy  are  we  willing  to  work  ? 

How  long  are  we  willing  to  work  at  this  task? 


CHAPTER  VIII 
SORROW  FOR  SIN 

FiFTY-FiEST  Psalm 

"Hare  mercy  upon  me,  O  God,  according  to  thy  lovingklndness: 
According  to  the  multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies  blot  out 

my  transgressions. 
Wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine  iniquity, 
And  cleanse  me  from  my  sin. 
For  I  know  my  transgressions; 
And  my  sin  is  ever  before  me. 
Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned, 
And  done  that  which  is  evil  in  thy  sight; 
That  thou  mayest  be  justified  when  thou  speakest, 
And  be  clear  when  thou  Judgest. 
Behold,  I  was  brought  forth  in  iniquity; 
And  in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me. 
Behold,  thou  desirest  truth  in  the  inward  parts; 
And  in  the  hidden  part  thou  wilt  make  me  to  know  wisdom. 
Purify  me  with  hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean: 
Wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow. 
Make  me  to  hear  joy  and  gladness. 
That  the  bones  which  thou  hast  broken  may  rejoice. 
Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins. 
And  blot  out  all  mine  iniquities. 
Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  (Jod; 
And  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me. 
Cast  me  not  away  from  thy  presence. 
An*  take  not  thy  holy  Spirit  from  me. 
Restore  unto  me  the  Joy  of  thy  salvation, 
And  uphold  me  with  a  willing  spirit. 
Then  will  I  teach  transgressors  thy  ways; 
And  sinners  shall  be  converted  unto  thee. 
Deliver  me  from  bloodguiltiness,  O  God,  thou  God  of  my 

salvation ; 
And  my  tongue  shall  sing  aloud  of  thy  righteousness. 
O  Lord,  open  thou  my  lips; 
And  my  mouth  shall  show  forth  thy  praise. 
For  thou  delightest  not  in  sacrifice;  else  would  I  give  It: 
Thou  hast  no  pleasure  In  burnt-offering. 
The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit: 
A  broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not  deipiie. 

81 


82    HEAET  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

Do  good  in  thy  good  pleasure  unto  Zion: 

Build  thou  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. 

Then  wilt  thou  delight  in  the  sacrifices  of  righteousness. 

In  burnt-offering  and  whole  burnt-offering: 

Then  will  they  offer  bullocks  upon  thine  altar. 

Chickens  Come  Home  to  Roost 

Sin  Lodge,  No.  37.  Definitions  give  no  satisfaction  to 
a  mind  harassed  by  troubled  thoughts  of  sin.  Every  new 
limitation  put  upon  its  seriousness  lifts  clearer  into  con- 
sciousness the  sin  itself.  The  faster  we  rush  along  in  our 
eifort  to  shake  ourself  free  from  the  thought  of  it,  the 
more  insistently  it  cries  for  our  attention.  Sin  is  a 
Nemesis.  No  amount  of  self-delusion  drives  it  away.  It 
has  ever  been  so.  The  psalmist  gave  little  concern  to  to- 
morrow when  he  committed  the  sin  which  now  assails  him. 
But  to-morrows  unnumbered  gave  room  for  its  conse- 
quences in  his  thinking,  and,  do  his  best,  he  was  unable 
to  escape  it.  Down  through  the  years  it  followed  him, 
or  else  ran  ahead  and  met  him  along  the  way.  It  flayed 
and  stung  his  conscience  so  that  he  had  no  peace.  He 
belonged  to  the  "Ancient  Order  of  Sinners,''  whose  fel- 
lowship is  still  among  us.  All  the  grips  and  passwords 
were  familiar  to  him.  No  handbook  was  needed  in  order 
that  he  might  deliver  the  charge  to  new  and  younger 
sinners.  "I  know  my  transgression,"  he  admitted  with 
heavy  heart;  "my  sin  is  ever  before  me.''  Well  qualified 
was  he  for  fellowship  with  sinners  of  all  ages.  _  The 
torment  of  his  mind  would  have  found  comradeship  in 
Dante's  Inferno,  while  the  polished  malefactor  of  our 
own  generation  would  be  a  boon  companion  to  him.  Like 
well-bred  chickens,  sin  always  comes  home  to  roost.  At 
most  inconvenient  times  it  demands  a  hearing.  Nor  will 
it  be  put  off  without  some  sort  of  satisfaction.  How  we 
plunge  into  good  works  to  quiet  sin's  nagging !  And  how 
futile  are  our  efforts  in  getting  results!  The  demand 
continues  that  the  issue  be  met  and  fairly  considered. 
It  is  at  this  point  that  we  quail.  Why  are  we  so  afraid 
to  meet  the  demands  of  our  sins  honestly  and  frankly? 
Are  we  unwilling  to  pay  the  exactions  which  our  fellow- 
ship with  sin  must  finally  make? 


SORROW  FOR  SIN  83 

Guilty  or  Not  Guilty?  The  man  who  refused  to  plead 
until  he  had  heard  the  evidence  against  him  is  not  a 
creation  of  the  wit  of  a  daily  paper.  He  is  a  type  of 
individual  produced  in  large  numbers  in  all  generations. 
Such  a  man,  when  sin  taps  him  on  the  shoulder  to  claim 
its  reward,  is  sorry,  not  that  he  sinned,  but  that  he  has 
been  discovered.  This  accounts  for  the  many  subterfuges 
used  by  lawyers  in  defending  in  court  men  known  to  be 
guilty  of  the  offense  charged.  The  sad  part  of  it  is 
that  the  guilty  often  escape  conviction  and  the  judge  pro- 
nounces '^Discharged."  Small  comfort  in  such  exonera- 
tion. When  Charles  Steele,  in  The  Right  of  Way,  turns 
on  the  man  whom  he  had  just  successfully  defended 
against  the  charge  of  murder,  as  he  makes  to  thank 
him,  he  exclaims,  "You  are  guilty."  Nor  is  his  attitude 
isolated.  ^lost  people  feel  the  same  way  when  they  read 
of  investigations  which  result  in  a  whitewashing  of  the 
accused.  And  the  individual  concerned  always  feels  that 
way.  For,  though  God  remains  indefinitely  the  "unknown" 
quantity  in  lifers  equation,  few  there  are  who  expect  to 
pass  over  the  Great  Divide  without  in  some  way  finding 
reality  for  the  symbol.  The  need  of  God  becomes  so 
great  that  the  hollowness  of  assumed  righteousness  be- 
comes appalling.  Sin,  then,  must  be  dealt  with  according 
to  the  facts.  The  psalmist  had  come  to  this  conclusion. 
Whatever  life  had  given  him  of  joy  or  position  or  wealth, 
it  was  all  fleshless  bones  because  of  sin  and  of  being  with- 
out fellowship  with  God.  He  therefore  sought  relief  from 
the  torments  of  his  conscience  in  prayer  to  Jehovah.  He 
laid  his  heart  bare  and  confessed  what  he  had  done.  He 
offered  no  excuse  of  extenuating  circumstances,  tempera- 
ment, or  ignorance.  He  pleaded  guilty  without  qualifica- 
tion.   And  he  asked  God's  mercy  in  his  behalf. 

An  Hour  with  the  Judge 

The  Value  of  Clearness.  The  amplification  of  the 
meaning  of  sin  was  necessary  for  the  psalmist,  not  for 
God.  It  is  the  guilty  man  who  must  understand  clearly 
the  significance  of  what  he  has  done  when  he  seeks  mercy 


84    HEAET  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

at  the  hands  of  God.  So  the  psalmist  elaborates.  He 
has  transgressed.  Some  defection  from  God  has  occurred. 
Or,  perchance,  he  has  rebelled  against  God^s  laws  or  against 
God  himself.  He  has  committed  iniquity.  He  has  per- 
verted the  right  or  indulged  in  depraved  conduct.  He 
has  sinned.  Some  error  has  been  committed.  He  has 
wandered  from  the  right  way.  He  has  missed  the  mark 
in  life.  In  making  the  matter  clear  he  has  stated  the  full 
case  against  himself.  His  very  clearness  has  stamped  him 
guilty.  Did  he  sidestep  his  statement  when  he  realized 
what  he  had  said?  Not  he!  He  wanted  to  be  freed 
from  it  all.  In  order  to  be  freed  he  must  confess  it.  A 
bad  case,  surely.  Our  case  is  bad,  as  well.  Perhaps  ours 
is  a  bit  worse.  For,  to  his  knowledge  of  the  law  of  God 
we  have  added  the  teaching  of  Jesus  concerning  the 
thinking  of  evil.  Where  does  this  new  content  to  the 
meaning  of  sin  put  our  case?  Have  we  made  clear  to 
ourselves  the  significance  of  the  chair  we  occupy  in  our 
hour  in  court  with  God  ? 

Say  It.  What  would  you  say  if  you  were  in  the  place 
of  the  psalmist?  Sin  confessed  abjectly,  what  next  step 
would  you  take?  It  was  no  dress  rehearsal  that  the 
singer  of  "The  Song  of  a  Sinful  Soul"  was  going  through. 
It  was  a  page  from  life.  It  was  all  stern  indictment,  self- 
indictment  at  that.  Tragedy  may  be  analyzed  with  com- 
posure when  read  some  hundreds  of  years  after  it  occurs. 
But  even  youthful  love  gives  heartaches  at  its  sudden 
breaking  off.  And  it  was  no  teen-age  romance  with 
which  the  poet  was  concerned.  Driven  by  his  sin,  he 
was  seeking  relief.  In  order  to  find  it  he  had  followed 
the  teachings  of  his  fathers.  He  had  confessed  his  sins 
before  God.  But  admission  does  not  give  full  relief.  The 
psalmist  wanted  to  be  rid  of  his  sin.  He  was  as  willing 
to  have  it  torn  from  him  as  we  are  to  leave  a  nerve-racking 
tooth  in  the  dentist's  office.  So  he  pleaded  with  all  the 
terminology  with  which  his  day  was  familiar  to  be  freed 
from  that  which  was  making  life  scarcely  worth  living. 
There  is  no  stopping  to  discuss  the  theological  value  of 
the  methods  which  he  is  about  to  suggest.  He  knows 
what  he  wants  and  he  uses  all  the  knowledge  he  has  to 


SORROW  FOR  SIN  85 

make  the  matter  clear.  Sinners  of  times  more  modem 
than  this  Israelite  pleader  have  considered  God  as  a  great 
bookkeeper.  And  many  there  are  who  think  that  in  some 
way  they  will  be  able  to  juggle  the  trial  balance.  "Blot 
out  my  transgressions/'  he  urges.  With  intense  expect- 
ancy he  lifts  up  his  face  and  cries  out.  "Wash  me  thor- 
oughly from  my  iniquity/'  he  continues,  as  he  recalls  the 
thoroughness  with  which  the  fuller  washes  the  clothes. 
"Cleanse  me  from  my  sin";  pronounce  me  "clean"  among 
my  people,  he  adds,  as  though  to  let  no  phase  of  his  desire 
escape  attention.  That  he  states  that  he  was  born  in 
iniquity  is  not  a  slur  against  his  mother,  but  an  expression 
of  his  inherited  belief — the  inherited  sinfulness  of  man. 
He  knows  that  God  desires  inward  purity  and  asks  for 
that  wisdom  which  is  spiritual  discernment.  All  the 
ceremonial  of  his  religion  comes  to  mind.  As  the  leper 
is  sprinkled  in  the  rites  of  cleansing  with  a  bunch  of 
hyssop  for  a  sprinkler,  so  he  would  be  treated.  His  clothes 
he  would  have  washed  according  to  the  rites  of  purifica- 
tion. Is  he  merely  a  ceremonialist  ?  Will  forms  and 
observances  do?  No.  Through  all  of  his  prayer  is  the 
earnest  longing: 

"Create  within  me  a  clean  heart,  O  (Jod, 
And  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me." 

No  half-way  measures  satisfy  a  soul  truly  sorry  for  sin. 
It  must  be  all  or  nothing.  And  all  includes  not  only  the 
satisfaction  of  forgiveness.  It  also  takes  in  the  presence 
of  God's  Spirit.  Salvation  is  no  narrow  term.  It  em- 
braces all  that  God  has  in  mind  for  man.  This  includes 
forgiveness,  a  new  life,  and  development  in  God-likeness. 
The  psalmist  was  making  a  big  petition  that  day.  Are 
we  equal  to  him  in  our  thought  of  what  God  will  do  for 
us  if  we  permit  him? 


Who  Pays  the  Cost? 

The  Aftermath.     That  sacred  spot  where  God  forgives 
our  sin  should  not  receive  all  of  our  attention  for  the 


86     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

rest  of  our  life.  No  doubt,  the  psalmist  could  have  sung 
with  great  gusto,  had  it  been  written  in  his  time: 

"Happy  day,  happy  day 
When  Jesus  washed  my  sins  away: 
He  taught  me  how  to  watch  and  pray, 
And  live  rejoicing  every  day." 

There  is  no  evidence  in  his  psalm,  however,  that  he  pitched 
his  tent  and  remained  there  until  the  day  he  was  buried. 
There  are  a  number  of  matters  to  be  attended  to  when 
God  forgives  a  man  of  his  sins.  What  about  the  people  who 
have  suffered  and  must  continue  to  suffer  because  of  a 
man's  sins,  now  forgiven?  Is  there  no  payment  to  be 
made  to  them?  Must  they  ever  bear  burdens  because 
we  ignored  God's  laws?  Where  is  justice  to  be  found  if 
that  were  so  ?  The  psalmist  would  have  his  heart  "tell  its 
raptures  all  abroad.''  He  would  do  even  better  than  that. 
He  would  teach  transgressors  the  ways  of  God.  He  would 
strive  to  convert  sinners  to  God.  But  what  about  his  cry, 
"Deliver  me  from  bloodguiltiness,  0  God"?  Was  he  a 
murderer?  If  so,  did  his  forgiveness  by  God  close  the 
case  so  far  as  he  was  concerned?  Hardly.  Somewhere 
in  his  song  he  strikes  a  note  that  summons  us  like  a  bugle 
call  to  attention: 

"The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit: 
A  broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise." 

The  humility  of  a  genuine  penitence  which  ends  in  for- 
giveness does  not  permit  the  closing  of  the  door  of  the 
past  that  the  one  forgiven  may  pass  on  unconcerned  into 
the  days  ahead.  Nor  does  it  permit  the  seeking  of  satis- 
faction in  boasting  of  the  sinfulness  of  by-gone  days.  It 
stirs  the  new-born  soul  to  acts  of  restitution.  Not  only 
will  the  tongue  sing  aloud  of  God's  righteousness;  the  life 
also  will  be  characterized  by  righteousness  similar  to  God's. 
Sorrow  for  sin  does  not  cease  when  forgiveness  causes  a 
new  day  to  dawn  in  human  experience.  It  goes  on  through 
life  as  a  silent  unseen  companion  of  the  inner  sanctuary. 
It  points  out  the  newer  pitfalls  and  slippery  places,  but  it 
also  whispers  of  bygone  wrongs  that  may  yet  be  righted. 


SOREOW  FOR  Sm  87 

The  nagging  of  sin  itself  is  gone.  The  persuasiveness 
of  sorrow  for  sin  steps  in  to  take  its  place.  The  after- 
math of  forgiveness  needs  our  attention  in  more  ways 
than  one. 

The  Joy  of  Salvation.  He  who  first  united  the  term 
"joy''  with  salvation  made  a  real  contribution  to  life.  Had 
he  said  "happiness"  he  would  have  failed  miserably.  For 
salvation  unites  one  in  fellowship  with  God.  Could  any 
word  but  joy  express  that  union?  And  the  joy  is  not 
mere  satisfaction  in  having  broken  loose  from  sin's  firm 
hold.  It  is  found,  rather,  in  the  privilege  of  sharing  God's 
great  task  in  giving  to  men  the  heritage  which  he  in- 
tended them  to  have.  What  a  different  experience  is  the 
joy  of  salvation  from  the  experience  of  the  harrowing  of 
conscience !  The  one  is  a  stimulus,  the  other  a  drag.  And 
stimulus  is  needed,  for  the  task  is  great.  Other  folks  are 
just  as  stubborn  as  we  are.  Their  sin  is  none  of  our 
business,  so  they  say.  We  cannot  preach  them  into  our 
way  of  thinking.  "You  did  not  always  think  this  way," 
they  answer.  Among  the  psalmist's  people  thousands  of 
sheep  and  goats  and  doves  were  slain  to  help  men  to 
see  God's  wisdom  and  the  beauty  of  his  righteousness. 
They  called  it  a  sacrifice  for  sin.  The  cost  was  all  paid 
by  the  slain  dumb  beasts.  But  the  results  were  not  very 
encouraging.  Years  later  they  crucified  Jesus  Christ  out- 
side the  city  of  Jerusalem.  Many  have  been  the  men  and 
the  women  who  have  found  the  way  because  of  his  sacri- 
fice. Just  as  the  sacrifice  of  sheep  availed  nothing  be- 
cause it  was  external,  so  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  benefits 
us  not  at  all  unless  we  participate  in  it. 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

What  is  sin  ? 

Why  does  the  thought  of  our  sins  torment  us  ? 

Who  are  involved  in  trouble  by  sin  ? 

How  far  does  God's  forgiveness  of  our  sins  make  matters 
right  with  those  whose  lives  are  affected  by  our  sins? 

Why  is  it  necessary  for  us  to  acknowledge  ourselves 
guilty  before  we  can  ask  forgiveness? 


88    HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

To  what  extent  is  "a  clean  heart"  essential  to  good 
living? 

In  what  way  are  we  offering  to  Grod  the  sacnnce  of 
"a  broken  and  a  contrite  heart"? 

How  may  we  show  to  others  the  way  to  forgiveness 
for  sins  ? 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  JOYS  OF  THE  SANCTUARY 

additional  readings,  psalm  122 

The  Eighty-Fourth  Psalm 

"How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles, 
O  Jehovah  of  hosts! 

My  soul  longeth,  yea,  even  fainteth  for  the  courts  of  Jehovah; 
My  heart  and  my  flesh  cry  out  unto  the  living  God. 
Yea,  the  sparrow  hath  found  her  a  house, 
And  the  swallow  a  nest  for  herself,  where  she  may  lay  her 

young, 
Even  thine  altars,  O  Jehovah  of  hosts, 
My  King,  and  my  God. 
Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy  house: 
They  will  be  still  praising  thee.  (Selah.) 

Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strength  is  in  thee; 
In  whose  heart  are  the  highways  to  Zion. 
Passing  through  the  valley  of  Weeping  they  make  it  a  place 

of  springs; 
Yea,  the  early  rain  covereth  it  with  blessings. 
They  go  from  strength  to  strength; 
Every  one  of  them  appeareth  before  God  in  Zion. 

0  Jehovah  God  of  hosts,  hear  my  prayer; 

Give  ear,  O  God  of  Jacob.  (Selah.) 

Behold,  O  God  our  shield. 

And  look  upon  the  face  of  thine  anointed. 

For  a  day  in  thy  courts  is  better  than  a  thousand. 

1  had  rather  be  a  doorkeeper  in  the  house  of  my  God, 
Than  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness. 

For  Jehovah  God  is  a  sun  and  a  shield: 
Jehovah  will  give  grace  and  glory; 

No  good  thing  will  be  withhold  from  them  that  walk  up- 
rightly. 
O  Jehovah  of  Hosts, 
Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  thee." 

Is  THE  Question  Debatable? 

A  Matter  of  Opinion:  or.  Is  It  Training  and  Habit? 
For  a  long  time  the  psalmist  has  been  prevented  from 


90     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

worshiping  Jehovah  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem.  His  heart 
has  been  made  heavy  by  the  forced  absence.  The  house 
of  God  was  a  joyous  place  for  him.  He  had  been  brought 
up  to  attend  its  services  regularly  and  gladly.  When 
twelve  years  of  age  he  had  become  a  son  of  the  law  and 
a  member  of  the  congregation  of  Israel.  From  that  time 
on  he  had  learned  to  love  its  services  more  and  more. 
The  joyous  songs  of  the  pilgrims  going  up  Mount  Zion 
was  happy  music  in  his  ears.  The  antiphonal  chantmg 
of  the  psalms  thrilled  his  soul  with  its  wonder.  The 
message  of  the  Scriptures  was  as  the  voice  of  God  to  him. 
Even  the  slaying  of  lamb  and  kid  and  snow-white  dove 
upon  the  altar  of  sacrifice  had  drawn  him  closer  to  the 
place  set  apart  where  all  his  nation  came  to  acknowledge 
their  allegiance  to  Jehovah.  It  was  all  a  part  of  his  life. 
When  he  prayed  at  home,  he  knelt  with  his  face  toward 
Jerusalem.  And  now,  after  long  absence,  to  be  per- 
mitted once  more  to  stand  in  the  courts  of  Jehovah !  Is 
it  not  well  to  ask  how  our  love  of  the  Church  of  the  Living 
God  compares  with  his  ?  Does  our  entire  being  cry  out  in 
its  desire  to  bow  at  the  altar  of  our  church?  Do  we  sing 
of  the  worthiness  of  the  place  where  God's  presence  is 
sought?  Across  the  fields  or  down  the  street  a  bell  is 
tolling  the  hour  of  worship.  Do  we  respond  with  a  happy 
assurance  within  that  the  services  and  ministries  of  our 
church  mean  to  us  all  that  they  might  have  meant?  Do 
we  find  God's  presence  when  we  enter  his  house  to  offer 
praise  to  his  name  ?  Is  it  a  matter  of  opinion,  or  is  it  some- 
thing deeper  that  causes  a  man  to  cry : 

"How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles, 
O  Jehovah  of  hosts!  .       ^^  ^        » 

My    soul    longeth,    yea,    even    fainteth    for    the    courts    of 

Jehovah;  ^     ,.  .       ^  ^ .. 

My  heart  and  my  flesh  cry  out  unto  the  livmg  God. 

Why  Go  to  Church?  There  are  those  who  think  that 
"church-going"  is  a  device  thought  up  by  a  group  of  people 
who  are  endeavoring  to  have  all  others  follow  their  plan. 
They  place  the  church  in  the  list  of  causes  instead  of 
results.     The  church  usually  comes  vitally  into  a  man's 


THE  JOYS  OF  THE  SANCTUARY  91 

experience  after  he  gets  acquainted  with  God.  Love  of 
worship  is  an  expression  of  God's  love  within.  Every  live 
soul,  whether  joyous  or  sad,  seeks  communion  with  God. 
In  isolation  its  own  experiences  are  magnified,  its  joys 
underestimated,  its  sorrows  enlarged.  In  company  with 
a  number  of  like-minded  people  a  better  perspective  is 
obtained,  a  common  message  is  received,  and  hymns  which 
give  voice  to  the  whole  range  of  soul-need  are  sung.  With- 
out this  sense  of  God's  presence  there,  the  church  is  merely 
a  place  where  we  may  be  christened,  married,  and,  finally, 
buried.  This  was  not  the  psalmist's  conception  of  God's 
house.  The  spirit  of  worship  thrilled  his  soul.  He  longed 
to  be  where  he  could  give  expression  to  it.  True,  he 
worshiped  Jehovah  where  he  was,  but  the  need  of  public 
worship  set  his  mind  eagerly  toward  the  hour  when,  as  in 
other  days,  he  would  be  in  Jerusalem.  His  ability  to 
worship  God  wherever  he  was,  apparently  had  not  lessened 
his  sense  of  need  of  worship  in  God's  house.  Has  learn- 
ing to  realize  God's  presence  at  all  times  in  all  places 
caused  us  to  lose  sight  of  the  need  of  such  worship?  Do 
we  not  feel  the  need  of  uniting  with  others  in  the  ex- 
pression of  our  love  of  God?  Has  not  something  gone 
wrong  with  the  reasoning  of  our  generation  in  this  re- 
spect? People  sometimes  attend  church  for  a  Sunday  or 
two  after  a  death  in  their  family.  They  then  recognize 
the  fact  that  in  worshiping  with  others,  a  man  gains  con- 
fidence in  his  religious  faith,  receives  strength  to  live 
better,  has  new  visions  of  spiritual  possibilities  opened 
before  him,  and  learns  how  to  render  to  God  the  praise 
which  his  heart  ever  yearns  to  give.  Have  we  learned 
what  real  worship  is?  Or  have  we  merely  been  "going 
to  church"? 

A  Church  Home.  The  individual  who  first  said  "a 
church  home"  had  some  of  the  spirit  of  the  psalmist  in 
him.  "Home  is  where  the  heart  is"  some  singer  of  our 
day  has  sung.  And  the  heart  of  the  psalmist  was  in 
the  temple.  He  thought  of  the  privilege  enjoyed  by  the 
birds.  Both  sparrow  and  swallow  nested  in  the  crevices 
about  the  temple  buildings.  When  they  winged  their  way 
across  the  sky  toward  evening  it  was  to  spend  the  night 


92    HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

where  incense  burned  amid  the  atmosphere  of  worship. 
He  thought  also  of  the  ministers  of  the  temple,  those 
who  day  by  day  performed  the  services  appointed  by  God. 
How  fortunate  they  were !  Their  home  was  in  the  temple. 
They  lived  and  toiled  there.  There  was  no  worship  which 
they  could  not  hear,  even  if  their  duties  prevented  actual 
participation.  Is  the  psalmist's  expression  at  this  point  a 
comment  on  our  neglect  of  privilege  or  a  challenge  to  the 
better  use  of  it  ?  Our  mode  of  worship  does  not  necessitate 
the  continuous  presence  in  the  church  building.  Does 
this  cut  us  off  from  such  joy  as  the  psalmist  had?  There 
are  thousands  to-day  whose  entire  life  is  developed  with 
the  church  as  its  center.  They  not  only  rejoice  in  the 
worship  in  which  they  are  permitted  to  participate,  they 
also  enter  into  the  minister's  privilege  of  aiding  others 
to  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  Here  they  learn 
of  the  service  God  would  have  them  render  during  the 
hours  of  earning  a  livelihood  or  attending  to  life's  duties. 
Here  they  come  with  a  report  of  their  successes  or  fail- 
ures to  learn  how  better  to  live  and  how  better  to  suc- 
ceed. These  help  the  minister  to  help  them  to  worship 
God  acceptably.  They  help  the  minister  to  render  the 
largest  service  of  which  he  is  capable.  The  church  where 
such  a  one  has  worshiped  feels  a  loss  when  above  the  cold, 
still  body  the  minister  reads,  "I  am  the  resurrection,  and 
the  life :  he  that  believeth  on  me,  though  he  die,  yet  shall 
he  live;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  on  me  shall 
never  die."  The  church  has  been  home,  and  there  is  sor- 
row in  the  home  for  the  loss  of  one  of  its  circle. 

The  Reciprocity  of  Religion 

The  Joy  of  Getting.  An  invitation  to  worship  God 
ought  to  be  an  interesting  proposition  to  a  man  who  is 
always  alert  to  his  own  highest  advantage.  The  rumor  of 
countless  offerings  taken  in  the  churches  has  doubtless 
caused  many  to  overlook  this  phase  of  the  question.  It  is 
not  all  giving,  for  those  who  worship  God  in  spirit  and 
in  truth.  It  may  be  for  those  whose  worship  is  mere 
formality,  but  folks  like  the  psalmist  get  returns  out  of 


THE  JOYS  OF  THE  SANCTUARY  93 

all  proportion  to  what  they  give  in  this  respect.  Without 
egotism  the  singer  joins  the  throng  of  those  concerning 
whom  he  says, 

"Blessed  is  the  man  whose  strength  is  in  thee; 
In  whose  heart  are  the  highways  to  Zion." 

His  utterance  sounds  like  a  good  old  Methodist  class 
leader's  testimony.  Can  anyone  be  other  than  happy 
whose  heart  is  set  on  the  worship  of  God  ?  Happy  in  the 
process  of  worship  is  such  a  one,  and  happy  in  the  results 
which  flood  his  soul  in  response  to  his  earnest  worship. 
The  blessings  which  come  from  the  w^orship  of  God  are 
exceedingly  practical.  They  know  no  limitation  of  coun- 
try, time,  or  race.  The  ancient  Israelite  in  Jerusalem,  the 
uncouth  Negro  in  Africa,  and  the  debutante  of  our  modern 
American  city,  each  alike  may  be  recipients  of  the  same 
great  blessings.  The  blessings  of  the  worshiper  are  spirit- 
ual and  as  such  permit  the  individual  to  make  their  ap- 
plication in  life's  affairs  practical.  What  spiritual  vision 
floods  the  soul  as  one  unreservedly  communes  with  and 
praises  God!  New  courage  and  strength  are  received  to 
back  up  faltering  purposes.  A  new  light  shines  along  the 
pathway  ahead.  The  burdens  brought  into  the  service 
of  worship  are  transformed  into  opportunities.  Unsur- 
mountable  obstacles  disappear  with  the  new  perspective. 
After  such  an  hour  with  God  the  happy  worshiper  goes 
forth  richer  than  when  he  came.  With  a  song  in  his  heart 
he  turns  the  barren  places  and  hard  experiences  of  life 
into  fruitful  vineyards  and  helpful,  joyous  occasions. 
Many  a  dull  and  desertlike  life  has  been  made  as  a  garden 
of  roses  by  some  one  who  has  come  fresh  from  the  presence 
of  God.  Has  anyone  ever  blessed  your  life  in  this  way? 
Memory  will  furnish  a  goodly  list  of  bright  spots  of  this 
nature  if  given  an  opportunity.  And  just  ahead  are 
countless  lives  reaching  out  a  hand  to  touch  the  joy  of 
your  soul  as  you  pass  them  in  the  highway.  '^But  you  give 
out  again  what  you  get?"  Yes,  and  in  so  doing  come  to 
realize  the  significance  of  worshiping  God,  the  enjoying 
such  fellowship  with  him  as  to  be  strong  oneself  and  in 
that  strength  to  go  forth  to  bless  others. 


94     HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

The  Strength  of  the  Pack.  One's  spiritual  strength 
is  an  individual  development,  but  it  finds  its  best  expression 
in  company  with  others.  There  is  more  than  poetry  in 
the  hymn  beginning: 

"Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds 

Our  hearts  in  Christian  love, 
The  fellowship  of  kindred  minds 

Is  like  to  that  above. 
Before  our  Father's  throne 

We  pour  our  ardent  prayers; 
Our  fears,  our  hopes,  our  aims  are  one, 

Our  comforts  and  our  cares." 


Men  are  bound  together  by  the  love  of  God.  The  psalm- 
ist knew  this.  He  knew  how  they  are  strengthened  by 
a  knowledge  of  a  common  fellowship.  He  had  felt  his 
heart  leap  at  the  sight  of  families  whom  he  knew  as  they 
joined  the  happy  pilgrims  bound  for  Jerusalem.  God 
had  been  good  to  them  also.  What,  a  son  has  died  ?  Yes, 
but  God's  strength  was  sufficient.  How  we  multiply  the 
psalmist's  experience !  The  "fellowship  of  kindred  souls" 
has  helped  us  to  bear  burdens,  endure  sorrows,  overcome 
obstacles,  rise  up  when  overtaken  and  struck  down.  For 
those  of  the  fellowship  understand  our  problems.  We 
know  the  hardships  of  their  journey.  Our  deeper  experi- 
ences are  alive  with  the  consciousness  of  our  mutual  de- 
pendence. We  stand  erect  with  the  strength  of  all  as  we 
go  forth  to  meet  the  issues  of  each  new  day.  The  joy  of 
it  all  reaches  its  best  expression  when  together  we  praise 
God  in  his  house.  It  is  the  yearning  for  this  worship  that 
brings  us  together  in  the  church.  It  is  the  strength  re- 
ceived from  worshiping  together  that  makes  the  world  so 
much  brighter.  Are  you  getting  from  the  fellowship  of 
worship  all  that  you  possibly  can  ? 

Neglect  or  Lack  of  Appreciation?  There  are  some  peo- 
ple who  spend  their  evenings  singing,  "0  that  will  be 
glory  to  me,"  who  have  forgotten  all  about  the  church 
around  the  corner.  Living  so  near  that  they  may  *^run  in 
to  the  church,"  they  are  busy  buttoning  their  coat  when 
they  reach  it  and  pass  right  by.     A  few  years  on  the 


THE  JOYS  OF  THE  SANCTUARY  95 

frontier  would  do  wonders  for  such  people.  When  a  man 
has  to  drive  a  team  twenty  miles  in  order  to  take  his 
family  to  church  they  all  appreciate  the  service.  In  com- 
munities where  they  do  not  see  a  preacher  oftener  than 
once  a  year,  where  the  dead  are  buried  '"without  benefit 
of  clergy/'  one  has  a  different  feeling  about  the  church. 
The  debauches  of  many  a  mining  camp  would  give  much 
had  they  stayed  where  the  influence  of  the  church  is  felt. 
The  lumber-jacks  welcome  the  sky-pilot  and  hear  his  mes- 
sage with  burning  heart  and  tear-wet  cheeks.  Would  these, 
thus  limited  in  their  opportunity  to  worship  God,  find 
comradeship  with  the  psalmist?  In  his  exile  from  the 
house  of  God  he  put  it  thus:  "I  had  rather  perform  the 
humblest  service  at  the  temple  of  him  who  tolerates  no 
evil  than  be  entertained  as  a  guest  where  wickedness 
makes  its  house.''  Is  one  day  in  the  house  of  God  so 
prized  by  us  that  no  effort  is  too  great  for  us  to  make  in 
order  to  get  there?  What  about  the  tired  excuse,  the 
clothes  excuse,  the  preacher-did-not-speak-to-me  excuse,  the 
do-not-approve-of-one-of-the-officials  excuse,  and  all  the 
others?  Is  it  neglect  with  us  or  are  we  too  stupid  to 
value  rightly  a  great  privilege  because  it  is  so  close  at 
hand  ? 

At  the  Turn  of  the  Eoad 

This  Way  In.  The  blessings  of  God  await  those  who 
go  after  them.  There  is  no  urging  them  on  us.  If  we 
do  not  want  them,  we  are  not  obliged  to  have  them;  but 
if  we  do  want  them,  we  must  seek  them.  It  may  be  true 
that  God  blesses  us  where  we  are  if  we  "walk  uprightly," 
but  we  are  better  informed  as  to  what  "walking  uprightly" 
is  when  we  regularly  hear  God's  word  interpreted  to  us  by  a 
minister  of  God.  Business  drives  us  with  unrelenting  vigor 
six  days  a  week.  Household  cares  and  duties  fill  every 
hour  with  some  new  demand.  Scarcely  is  there  time  to 
attend  to  the  neighborhood  social  obligations.  Much  less 
is  there  time  for  the  deep  and  thoughtful  study  of  God's 
Word.  What  is  the  function  of  the  minister  ?  Not  to  pre- 
pare sermons  for  us  and  have  us  at  home  reading  the  cart- 
load of  Sunday  newspaper  delivered  by  a  boy  about  day- 


96     HEAET  MESSAGES  EEOM  THE  PSALMS 

break.  Not  to  administer  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  when  we  are  at  home  cleaning  the  "flivver"  for 
an  afternoon  spin.  Not  to  preach  the  obligations  for  serv- 
ice resting  on  every  member  of  the  community  while  we 
are  trying  to  close  a  real-estate  deal  over  the  back  fence. 
The  minister  of  God  has  his  time  set  aside  to  make  clear 
God's  will  for  men.  He  brings  to  his  pulpit  a  message 
fresh  for  each  day's  need — our  need.  If  we  are  present, 
he  quickens  our  conscience  by  applying  truth  to  our  way 
of  living.  He  ever  keeps  us  reexamining  ourselves.  He 
lifts  us  up  to  see  visions  we  had  not  dreamed  God  wanted 
us  to  know  about.  Of  course  the  minister  can  study  the 
Bible  for  us  if  necessary.  But  we  will  get  nothing  from 
his  study  unless  we  are  on  hand  to  hear  his  report.  Are 
we  afraid  of  what  he  may  have  to  say  ?  It  may  all  be  good 
news,  who  knows?  Already  our  presence  at  the  service 
of  worship  has  brought  us  blessings  which  would  have  been 
lost  forever  had  we  not  been  in  the  church.  Why  not  try 
wearing  a  well-used  path  from  our  door  to  the  church? 
It  will  take  us  to  many  a  new  blessing. 

*'Go  to  Church  Sunday/'  There  is  something  incon- 
gruous in  such  a  slogan.  Imagine  the  psalmist  launching 
a  "Go  up  to  the  temple  Sabbath."  How  the  Philistines 
would  have  jibed !  What  they  would  have  said  would  not 
have  sounded  well  even  in  the  streets  of  Ascalon.  They 
would  have  forthwith  buckled  on  their  armor  and  ad- 
vanced upon  the  Israelites  with  arms  steeled  by  the  knowl- 
edge that  Jehovah  no  longer  was  the  "God  of  hosts."  "Ha 
ha"  and  "ha  ha"  would  have  echoed  through  the  valleys. 
And  the  psalmist's  song  would  long  since  have  been  con- 
signed to  the  limbo  of  discarded  verse.  Instead  of  such 
a  method  the  psalmist  let  others  know  of  the  joy  that  wor- 
ship in  the  sanctuary  gave  to  him.  He  sang  of  the  added 
strength  which  comes  to  God's  worshipers.  He  rejoiced  in 
no  uncertain  notes  over  the  privilege  of  "appearing  before 
God."  He  wanted  everyone  in  all  places  to  know  that  he 
worshiped  Jehovah  and  got  strength,  inspiration,  courage, 
uplift,  and  satisfaction  from  such  worship.  If  anyone 
would  know  real  joy,  let  him  learn  the  comfort  of  God's 
house,  the  wisdom  of  God's  Word,  the  harmony  of  God's 


THE  JOYS  OF  THE  SANCTUARY  97 

songs.  "Go  to  church  Sunday'*  ?  Rather,  worship  Jehovah 
in  the  beauty  of  holiness !  Not  a  formality  for  a  day,  but 
a  living  experience  for  all  life.  Not  a  response  to  a  booster 
movement,  but  a  constant  satisfying  of  the  souPs  need  in 
regular  public  communion  with  the  soul's  Saviour.  The 
psalmist  was  a  bit  advanced  for  our  times.  What  has  kept 
us  behind  his  day? 

How  Do  We  Worship?  Perhaps  the  trouble  lies  here. 
Many  who  assemble  regularly  in  the  church  have  never 
been  taught  how  to  worship.  They  come  bustling  into 
church  a  few  minutes  late.  They  enter  with  noise  and  are 
seated  with  confusion.  The  first  few  minutes  are  spent 
in  looking  about  to  see  who  are  present.  The  atmosphere 
which  they  bring  into  the  service  is  not  that  of  worship  at 
all.  We  should  enter  God's  house  in  the  spirit  of  wor- 
ship. We  should  be  there  before  the  hour  for  the  service 
to  begin  and  spend  the  intervening  moments  in  meditation. 
What  have  we  come  for?  What  need  can  God  supply  at 
this  hour?  What  attitudes  of  mind  and  heart  must  be 
changed  before  he  can  bless  us?  We  should  pray  silently 
for  God's  presence,  for  the  inspiration  of  the  minister,  for 
the  awakening  of  souls  that  are  half  asleep.  We  should 
worship  in  the  singing.  Our  offering  should  be  given  with 
a  sense  of  its  usefulness  in  God's  work.  We  should  permit 
the  minister  actually  to  lead  our  minds  in  prayer,  .thus 
making  his  petition  our  own.  With  open  mind  and  hunger- 
ing heart  we  should  seek  light  and  spiritual  food  in  his 
message.  Do  we  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth? 
Wherein  do  we  fail  ?  Perhaps  in  our  ignorance  of  the  way 
we  have  missed  the  psalmist's  joy  in  the  service  of  the 
sanctuary.  Are  we  willing  to  learn  to  go  the  full  length 
and  worship  God  as  God?  Such  response  on  our  part 
might  shortly  find  us  singing  with  our  joyous  psalmist: 

"Jehovah  God  is  a  sun  and  a  shield: 
Jehovah,  will  give  grace  and  glory; 
No  good  thing  will  he  withhold 
From  them  that  walk  uprightly. 

O  Jehovah  of  hosts, 

Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  thee." 


98     HEART  MESSAGES  EROM  THE  PSALMS 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

What  influence  has  God's  house  had  in  your  life?     In 
your  home?    Among  your  loved  ones? 

To  what  extent  has  your  absence  from  the  services  of 
worship  influenced  others  to  remain  away? 

'  Do  we  feel  sorry  enough  for  the  heathen  who  do  not 
know  God  to  use  the  great  privilege  which  we  have  of 
worshiping  him? 

How  many  folks  know  that  you  prize  the  worship  of 
God's  house? 

Do  you  plan  to  have  time  for  worship  ? 

What  does  worship  signify  to  you? 

Have  you  ever  learned  how  to  worship  ? 

What  suggestions  would  you  make  to  yourself  in  the 
matter  ? 

How  can  you  help  to  make  public  worship  of  more  value 
to  others? 


CHAPTEK  X 

TEUST  IN  GOD 

additional  beadings,  psalms  122  and  123 

The  Ninety-First  Psalm 

'He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High 

Shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty. 

I  will  say  of  Jehovah,  He  is  my  refuge  and  my  fortress; 

My  God,  in  whom  I  trust. 

For  he  will  deliver  thee  from  the  snare  of  the  fowler, 

And  from  the  deadly  pestilence. 

He  will  cover  thee  with  his  pinions. 

And  under  his  wings  shalt  thou  take  refuge: 

His  truth  is  a  shield  and  a  buckler. 

Thou  shalt  not  be  afraid  for  the  terror  by  night. 

Nor  for  the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day; 

For  the  pestilence  that  walketh  in  darkness, 

Nor  for  the  destruction  that  wasteth  at  noonday. 

A  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy  side, 

And  ten  thousand  at  thy  right  hand; 

But  it  shall  not  come  nigh  thee. 

Only  with  thine  eyes  shalt  thou  behold, 

And  see  the  reward  of  the  wicked. 

For  thou,  O  Jehovah,  art  my  refuge! 

Thou  hast  made  the  Most  High  thy  habitation; 

There  shall  no  evil  befall  thee, 

Neither  shall  any  plague  come  nigh  thy  tent. 

For  he  will  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee, 

To  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways. 

They  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands, 

Lest  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone. 

Thou  shalt  tread  upon  the  lion  and  adder: 

The  young  lion  and  the  serpent  shalt  thou  trample  under 
foot. 

Because  he  hath  set  his  love  upon  me,  therefore  will  I  de- 
liver him: 

I  will  set  him  on  high,  because  he  hath  known  my  name. 

He  shall  call  upon  me,  and  I  will  answer  him; 

I  will  be  with  him  in  trouble: 

I  will  deliver  him,  and  honor  him. 

With  long  life  will  I  satisfy  him. 

And  show  him  my  salvation." 

99 


100  HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

Teaveler's  Luck 

The  Highway  of  the  Years.  The  journey  of  life  is  not 
as  monotonous  as  many  newspaper  paragraphers  seem  to 
imply.  Certainly,  it  is  exciting  and  varied  to  the  foot- 
loose adventurer  seeking  new  and  unknown  bypaths.  Each 
new  day  develops  some  untried  possibility  in  life-journey- 
ing. It  is  none  the  less  generous  in  its  offering  of  oppor- 
tunity for  great  days  to  those  set  in  one  place  by  the  ties 
of  home,  family,  customs,  and  necessary  toil.  The  multi- 
plying experiences  of  the  most  ordinary  existence  lend  a 
color  and  atmosphere  often  unnoticed  as  one  trudges  along 
in  the  blinding  dust  and  sweat.  The  days  bring  with 
them  a  consciousness  of  the  likeness  of  all  human  ex- 
perience. Looking  back  over  the  years  gives  a  new  and 
more  appreciative  appraisal  to  bygone  experiences  and  a 
keener  realization  of  life's  real  values.  Perhaps  this  is  one 
of  the  compensations  of  old  age.  At  least,  the  recognition 
of  God's  goodness  when  one  comes  to  the  end  of  the  road 
makes  fragrant  with  grateful  memory  the  thoughts  of  his 
help  throughout  the  years.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  wait 
until  the  foothills  of  the  downward  journey  are  reached  to 
enjoy  such  satisfaction  of  soul.  The  psalmist  in  the  vigor- 
ous years  of  his  manhood  was  able  to  sing : 

"He  that  dwelleth   in  the  secret  place  of  the   Most  High 
Shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty." 

Many  of  the  long  stretches  of  life's  routine  are  made  glad 
by  such  a  feeling  of  trust  in  God.  Old  age  holds  no  terrors. 
The  sinking  sun  will  be  all  glorious  and  golden.  The  heart 
lifts  up  the  courageous  shout : 

"Grow  old  along  with  me! 
The  best  is  yet  to  be. 
The  last  of  life,  for  which  the  first  was  made: 
Our  times  are  in  his  hand 
Who  saith  'A  whole  I  planned,' 
Youth  shows  but  half;    trust   God:    See  all  nor 
be  afraid!" 

''Isles  of  Safety."    Where  traffic  is  heavy  in  the  larger 


TRUST  IN  GOD  lOi 

cities  "isles  of  safety"  are  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
street.     Amid  the  confusion  and  uproar  and  the  jam  of 
vehicles  and  pedestrians  one  is  there  secure.     Though  out 
of  breath  and  flustered,  one  has  opportunity  for  retaking 
his  bearings.     He  goes  forth  for  the  balance  of  the  cross- 
ing rested  and  reassured.    Busy  highways  are  not  the  only 
place  where  such  "isles  of  safety"  are  needed.    Heart  hii^h- 
ways  become  frequent  scenes  of  disconcerting  confusion.    A 
good  start  becomes  a  hopeless  uncertainty  half-way  over  a 
crisis  crossing.    Dismay  gives  place  to  the  buoyant  going 
forth.     Distrust  of  self  lends  strength  to  the  possibility 
of  disaster.    The  singer  of  his  trust  in  Jehovah  knew  the 
need  of    isles  of  safety."     He  considers  the  best  of  such 
It    \l  T?T^'  ^l  ^L^^^  "dwelling  in  the  secret  place  of 
the  Most  High."    There  are  those  who  go  plunging  past  the 
traffic  police.     Wise  in   their  own  conceit  they  imacrine 
themselves  able  to  escape  skidding  automobile  or  skittish 
horse      Not  so  the  psalmist.     He  trusted  in  the  security 
afforded  him.     Else  why  should  it  be  there  for  him  ^     Is 
Jehovah  a  sort  of  hiding  place  along  the  way?    Yes   iust 
as  a  mother-bird  lifts  her  wings  to  protect  her  younV  so 
IS  God  thoughtful  of  his  safety.     No  ordinary  "isle  of 
safet/'  this.     It  is  God  in  whom  he  puts  his  trust.     The 
same  God  whom  Abraham  trusted,  the  God  of  Moses— 
the  Almighty.     Why  worry  about  inconsequential  things  ? 
What  are  a  few  stone-bruises  from  the  sharp,  harsh  experi- 
ences of  life  with  such  assurance!     Who  would  be  con- 
cerned over  the  scratches  from  the  briars  of  unsympathetic 
and  scornful  fellow  travelers !    "He  is  my  refuge  and  my 
fortress  "  he  trustfully  sings  on.     A  sure  purpose  is  pos- 
sible where  trust  is  absolute.    All  of  his  own  powers  were 
free  for  the  needs  of  the  problems  before  him.     So  certain 
is  he  that  God  will  do  for  him  all  that  he  has  promised 
that  he  is  ready  to  do  his  part  in  qualifying  for  the  pro- 
tection  m  which   he   so   implicitly   believes.     And   he  is 
willing  to  let  everyone  know  where  he  stands.    By  so  doing 
he  doubles  his  protection,  for  he  must  of  necessity  now 
do  his  part  or  else  become  a  butt  for  the  ridicule  of  those 
who  still  live  on  with  a  faith  in  their  own  ability  to  make 
the  crossing,  even  of  life's  deepest  experiences,  unaided. 


102  HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

Such  not  only  find  no  cause  to  say  "I  told  you  it  could 
not  be  done/^  they  also  receive  a  challenge  to  join  the 
ranks  of  those  prudent  travelers  who  watch  for  guide- 
posts  and  signs  warning  of  danger. 

The  Unseen  Foe.  It  is  difficult  to  prepare  for  unseen 
foes.  Life  is  full  of  Indian  fighting.  Harmless-looking 
experiences  prove  to  be  the  hiding  place  of  arrows  of  death. 
Inviting  byways  turn  out  to  be  set  with  the  insidious 
snares  of  soul  fowlers.  Gas  masks  become  a  necessity  in 
places  which  seem  to  be  wholesome.  Pestilence  lays  hold  on 
character  while  one  turns  to  look  around.  The  pages  of 
Life's  Guidebook  are  replete  with  all  the  horror  of  such 
things.  And  the  life  described  therein  is  of  men  and 
women  who  thought  they  knew  all  the  arts  of  life-traveling. 
In  his  Poems  of  the  Yukon,  Robert  W.  Service  pictures 
the  hell  on  earth  that  possesses  the  lives  of  men  and 
women  in  that  far-off,  wild  country.  And  those  who  come 
out  of  Alaska  after  a  few  years  there  tremble  for  those 
who  must  stay  on.  Strong,  educated.  God-fearing,  they 
succumb  to  the  unseen  foes  which  beset  the  soul  in  a 
country  lacking  in  the  restraints  of  conventional  com- 
munities. Nor  are  those  who  live  in  the  cultured  centers 
of  our  land  free  from  the  unseen  foes  of  life.  All  around 
us  they  strike  and  men  fall.  Wherever  we  go  the  story  is 
told  with  the  same  plot,  the  names  alone  being  different. 
It  furnishes  headlines  for  the  newspaper  each  morning, 
business  for  lawyers  and  judges,  and  sad  obituary  material 
for  ministers  and  friends.  Folks  save  themselves  from  sun- 
stroke by  proper  diet,  dress,  and  headgear.  They  put  their 
trust  in  that  which  is  able  to  protect  them.  But  against 
the  blistering  heat  that  shrivels  the  soul  and  warps  life 
they  too  often  feel  no  need  of  protection.  They  are  like 
the  student  who  could  parse  sentences,  analyze  a  flower, 
and  dissect  a  frog,  but  had  never  thought  of  learning  to 
swim  until  the  boat  in  which  he  was  rowing  began  to 
sink.  They  put  their  trust  in  those  things  which  cannot 
help  the  soul  to  maintain  its  integrity  when  the  unex- 
pected temptation  appears.  The  psalmist  appears  like  a 
wayfarer  fully  equipped  compared  to  such  travelers.  He 
jiiaj  not  kpow  the  way  he  is  going,  but  he  has  no  question 


TEUST  IN  GOD  103 

in  his  mind  concerning  the  wisdom  and  trustworthiness  of 
his  Guide. 

Guidebooks  and  Guides 

Accurate  and  Reliable.  If  this  can  be  said  of  one^s 
watch  it  is  a  time-piece  to  go  by  without  concern.  It 
notes  the  passing  time  with  certainty.  Five  o'clock  by 
it  to-morrow  will  hold  the  same  place  in  the  passing  day 
as  did  five  o'clock  yesterday.  Trains  may  be  caught  by 
trust  in  its  reliability.  Business  appointments  may  be 
kept.  The  man  who  claimed  that  he  set  the  sun  by  his 
watch  may  have  used  hyperbole,  but  what  he  meant  was 
that  his  watch  never  failed  him.  That  is  the  way  the 
psalmist  felt  about  God.  His  faithfulness  was  not  open 
to  debate.  It  was  dependable.  Each  day  of  life  added 
to  the  psalmist's  assurance  at  this  point.  The  very  fact 
that  God  never  failed  in  keeping  his  promises  made  him 
a  certain  protection.  Apparently,  the  psalmist  had  as 
great  need  of  defense  against  other  people  as  men  have 
to-day.  There  were  those  who  delighted  in  speaking  evil 
of  others  in  those  days.  Men  were  as  willing  then  as  now 
to  profit  from  the  labors  of  others.  Under  the  guise  of 
friendship  they  were  adept  at  "feeling  out"  a  man's 
thoughts,  opinions,  and  ambitions  in  order  to  spread  them 
out  in  the  light  of  day  to  retard  his  progress.  Bitter- 
ness, maliciousness,  and  backbiting  are  not  modem  dis- 
coveries in  doing  evil.  Why  seek  a  patent  for  the  ability 
to  spread  false  stories  by  mere  suggestion  or  query,  ^T)o 
you  think  thus  and  so?"  The  folks  whom  the  psalmist 
knew  were  so  like  us  that  he  implies  the  need  of  a  shield 
large  enough  to  cover  him  all  over.  And  God's  faith- 
fulness is  all  of  this.  If  a  man  can  realize  God's  pro- 
tection in  life's  battles,  he  will  be  able  to  give  a  good  ac- 
count of  himself.  Inspired  by  the  protection  of  God,  the 
psalmist  was  able  to  give  valiant  battle  to  his  adver- 
saries. He  was  not  a  coward.  He  was  willing  to  meet 
every  wile  of  sin,  either  within  himself  or  against  him. 
His  trust  in  God  did  not  lessen  the  fight  in  him.  It  gave 
him  poise,  strength,  and  the  ability  to  place  each  blow 
where  it  would  count.    What  sense  of  God's  faithfulness 


104  HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

to  care  for  us  do  we  have  when  our  trust  in  God  is  abso- 
lute?   Are  we  acquainted  with  God's  ways  with  men? 

A  Human  Singer.  The  song  of  our  study  was  not  spun 
by  the  muse.  The  singer  used  experience  and  fact  for  his 
measures.  He  was  not  only  a  poet,  but  also  somewhat 
of  a  historian.  The  ^Herror  by  nighf'  and  the  "pestilence 
that  walketh  in  darkness"  and  '^the  destruction  that  wasteth 
at  noonday/'  fill  one  with  a  sense  of  horror  akin  to  the  first 
reading  of  "The  Murder  in  the  Rue  Morgue/'  by  Edgar 
Allan  Poe.  All  that  the  imagination  can  conceive  may  be 
crowded  into  those  few  lines.  All  the  open  or  secret 
hostilities  to  one's  life  may  be  read  into  the  verses.  They 
become  alive  with  all  the  modern  interpretation  of  assaults 
on  the  soul  and  subsequent  consequences.  Where  did  the 
psalmist  get  his  figures  of  speech?  Out  of  the  history  of 
his  own  poeple.  His  trust  in  God  was  based  on  the  long 
look  as  well  as  on  personal  experience.  He  could  see  the 
ancestors  of  his  fathers  toiling  as  slaves  in  Egypt.  He 
pictured  the  plea  of  Moses  and  the  visitation  of  the  plagues 
upon  the  people  of  Pharaoh.  The  glow  in  his  eyes  deep- 
ened as  he  saw  the  heads  of  families  splashing  the  blood 
of  a  slain  lamb  on  the  doorpost  and  lintel  of  each  Israelite 
home.  Why  did  they  stand,  staff  in  hand,  eating  un- 
leavened bread  with  the  lamb  ?  Ah,  the  morning  told  why. 
All  Egypt  was  shocked  by  the  cry  from  every  Egyptian 
home.  "Our  first-bom  is  slain !  Our  first-born  is  slain  !" 
But  God  had  been  with  the  harassed  slaves.  Unharmed  he 
led  them  forth  as  freedmen.  The  Red  Sea  opened  to  let 
them  pass.  And  in  its  waters  they  saw  their  enemies  and 
one-time  masters  drowned.  Could  he  sing  of  trust  in 
God  ?    Listen  to  his  voice : 

"A  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy  side. 
And  ten  thousand  at  thy  right  hand; 
But  it  shall  not  come  nigh  thee. 
Only  with  thine  eyes  shalt  thou  behold 
And  see  the  reward  of  the  wicked." 

Why  not  sing  with  such  a  song  in  one's  heart?  Is 
that  a  sense  of  safety  to  let  go  by  unheralded?  "Such 
safety  is  mine,  such  safety  may  be  yours/'  the  song  says 


TKUST  IN  GOD  105 

clearly,  "if  absolute  trust  is  placed  in  God."  In  what 
sense  is  that  safety  characteristic  of  the  life  of  a  Christian 
man  to-day?  Our  singer  was  one  of  the  folks.  His  song 
has  a  pride  of  nation  in  it.  And  that  pride  is  because  his 
people  trusted  in  God.  Can  a  nation  be  safe  without 
God's  protection?  Where  do  we  count  in  the  answer  to 
questions  like  this? 

A  Part  of  the  Process.  Things  do  not  happen.  Cause 
and  result  travel  the  same  road.  They  may  not  swing 
along  arm-in-arm.  They  may  be  days  or  even  years 
apart.  But  once  cause  goes  down  the  way,  it  is  certain 
that  residt  will  be  along  in  due  time.  The  realization 
of  this  truth  has  saved  many  a  traveler  embarrassment 
and  suffering.  It  enables  one  to  accept  bravely  the  uni- 
versal experiences  of  life  and  to  avoid,  with  wisdom,  many 
unnecessary  experiences.  All  unpleasant  experiences  are 
not  evil.  Some  of  them  are  hard  to  endure.  They  bring 
gray  hairs  and  furrowed  brow.  Spiritual  growth  fre- 
quently accompanies  them.  But  some  of  them  are  evil. 
And  from  these  the  psalmist  would  have  us  free.  His 
method  is  to  make 

"The  Lord,  which  is  my  refuge, 
Even  the  Most  High,  thy  habitation." 

To  have  the  mind  occupied  with  thoughts  of  God,  his 
ways,  his  promises,  his  laws,  his  requirements — can  the 
mind  while  so  occupied  yield  to  those  thoughts  which  lead 
to  evil?  The  psalmist  sings  of  a  life  of  safety  based  on 
thinking  of  God.  Sin  will  become  repugnant  during  such 
a  process.  Temptation  will  make  very  little  headway,  no 
matter  how  insinuating.  Misfortune  will  be  traced  to  its 
actual  source.  Sorrow  will  yield  a  closer  fellowship  with 
the  heavenly  Father.  Death  will  be  a  culmination  of 
Life.  The  psalmist  urges  the  experience  of  him  who 
boldly  declared,  "I  know  whom  I  have  believed/'  Travelers 
unnumbered  have  been  trudging  along  life's  highway  for 
centuries.  The  milestones  have  been  labeled  with  prac- 
tically the  same  experience.  The  bypaths  and  pitfalls  have 
ever  been  numerous.  But  "God-thinking"  men  and  women 
have  checked  off  the  milestones  with  courageous  heart  and 


106  HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

unquestioning  mind.  The  firmness  of  their  step  and  the 
purpose  of  their  journey  have  carried  them  past  the  snares 
and  pestilence  unharmed.  Their  "habitation"  has  been 
God,  and  no  "plague"  has  come  nigh  "their  dwelling." 
Have  we  fully  learned  that  the  greatest  security,  and 
consequently  the  sweetest  peace,  is  found  in  the  realiza- 
tion of  the  Divine  Presence? 

Companions  of  the  Way 

The  Unseen  Guard.  The  ancient  Israelites  conceived 
of  the  hosts  of  God  surrounding  and  protecting  them.  An- 
other singer  phrased  it  thus: 

"The  angel   of  Jehovah   encampeth   round   about  them   that 

fear  him, 
And  delivereth  them." 

It  is  this  unseen  guardianship  which  gives  heart  in  the 
dark  hours  of  struggle  for  high  ideals  and  noble  living. 
It  is  into  the  hands  of  the  Unseen  Guard  that  every 
mother  intrusts  her  children  when  they  leave  home  for 
the  first  time.  It  is  the  Unseen  Guard  who  patrols  the 
portals  of  our  hearts  and  summons  us  to  awaken  and 
give  battle  when  our  spirit  seems  not  to  fight  against  its 
foe.  It  is  this  unseen  companion  of  the  way  who  ever 
whispers  to  take  the  advice  of  Richard  Watson  Gilder,  who 
sang: 

"Keep  pure  thy  soul! 
Then  thou  shalt  take  the  whole 
Of  delight; 

Then,  without  a  pang, 

Thine  shall  be  all  of  beauty  whereof  the  poet  sang — 
The  perfume,   and  the  pageant,   the   melody,   the  mirth 
Of  the  golden  day,  and  the  starry  night; 
Of  heaven  and  of  earth. 
O,  keep  pure  thy  soul!" 

Our  trust  in  God  which  prompts  us  to  "think  of  God" 
helps  us  here.  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,"  said 
Jesus  Christ,  "for  they  shall  see  God."  And  only  the 
riewpoint  of  God  in  a  man's  mind  makes  possible  such 


TRUST  IN  GOB  107 

thinking  as  gives  purity  of  heart,  and  such  life-practices 
as  make  enjoyable  the  actual  fellowship  of  God  as  Com- 
panion of  the  Way. 

The  Sure  Promises  of  God.  Do  we  realize  how  certain 
these  promises  are?  No  "maybe/'  or  "possibly/'  or  "per- 
haps/' weakens  their  power.  They  are  from  the  Source 
of  all  power,  and  he  never  fails.  Those  who  have  faith  in 
such  assurances  as  they  travel  along  have  hearts  embold- 
ened for  all  that  the  journey  may  encounter.  Now  and 
then  a  gloomy  individual  claims  that  "the  promises  did 
not  work"  with  him.  Like  many  of  us,  he  failed  to  recog- 
nize the  conditions  which  must  be  met  in  order  that  God 
may  justly  fulfill  his  promises.  He  would  take  all  that 
he  could  get  and  give  nothing  in  return.  The  result  of 
such  an  attitude  in  dealing  with  God  is  that  one  usually 
gets  nothing.  The  promises  of  God  were  sure  to  the 
psalmist  because  he  trusted  in  God  absolutely.  Do  we? 
Or  do  we  assume  that  we  may  run  to  cover  at  the  critical 
moment  and  then  Gk)d  will  look  after  the  rest?  There 
is  an  argument  and  an  explanation,  a  promise  and  a  way 
of  obtaining  it,  in  the  closing  strains  of  the  singer's  con- 
fession of  trust  in  God.  He  breaks  forth  into  melody  as 
the  mouthpiece  of  God,  putting  his  own  experience  into 
terms  which  will  fit  all  generations.  He  lifts  his  voice 
and  to  our  day  declares  with  gladness  to  those  who  trust 
in  God: 

"Because  he  hath  set  his  love  upon  me,  therefore  will  I  de- 
liver him: 
I  will  set  him  on  high,  because  he  has  known  my  name. 
He  shall  call  upon  me,  and  I  will  answer  him; 
I  will  be  with  him  in  trouble: 
I  will  deliver  him,  and  honor  him. 
With  long  life  will  I  satisfy  him, 
And  show  him  my  salvation." 

A  modern  poet,  George  Keith,  has  sung  to  the  great 
comfort  of  God's  people  a  like  message : 

"How  firm  a  foundation,  ye  saints  of  the  Lord, 
Is  laid  for  your  faith  in  his  excellent  word! 
What  more  can  he  say  than  to  you  he  hath  said. 
To  you  who  for  refuge  to  Jesus  have  fled? 


108  HEAKT  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

"In  every  condition — in  sickness,  in  health; 
In  poverty's  vale,  or  abounding  in  wealth; 
At  home  and  abroad;  on  the  land,  on  the  sea — 
'As  thy  days  may  demand,  shall  thy  strength  ever  be. 

"  'The  soul  that  on  Jesus  still  leans  for  repose, 
I  will  not,  I  will  not  desert  to  his  foes; 
That  soul,  though  all  hell  should  endeavor  to  shake, 
I'll  never,  no  never,  no  never  forsake!*" 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

In  what  sense  is  life  a  journey  ?    Describe  it. 

Why  do  we  need  "isles  of  safety^'  along  the  journey? 
Where  do  we  find  them? 

From  what  unseen  foes  against  our  spiritual  life  do  we 
need  protection? 

How  does  trust  in  God  help  us  in  this  respect  ? 

How  has  God  manifested  his  faithfulness  in  your  life? 

To  what  extent  are  we  making  God  our  "habitation''  ? 

In  what  way  do  we  daily  increase  our  trust  in  God? 

How  does  trust  in  God,  such  as  the  psalmist's,  help  us 
in  times  of  perplexity? 

In  what  way  does  practical  demonstration  of  our  trust 
help  others? 


CHAPTER  XI 
ADORATION  AND  PRAISE 

The  Onb  Hundred  and  Third  Psalm 

'Bless  Jehovah,  O  mj  soul; 

And  all  that  is  within  me,  bless  his  holy  name. 

Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul, 

And  forget  not  all  his  benefits: 

Who  forglveth  all  thine  iniquities; 

Who  healeth  all  thy  diseases; 

Who  redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruction; 

Who  crowneth  thee  with  lovingkindness  and  tender  mercies; 

Who  satisfieth  thy  desire  with  good  things, 

80  tJiat  thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagle. 

Jehovah  executeth  righteous  acts. 

And  Judgments  for  all  that  are  oppressed. 

He  made  known  his  ways  unto  Moses, 

His  doings  unto  the  children  of  Israel. 

Jehovah  is  merciful  and  gracious, 

Slow  to  anger,  and  abundant  in  lovingkindness. 

He  will  not  always  chide; 

Neither  will  he  keep  his  anger  forever. 

He  hath  not  dealt  with  us  after  our  sins. 

Nor  rewarded  us  after  our  iniquities. 

For  as  the  heavens  are  high  above  the  earth. 

So  great  is  his  lovingkindness  toward  them  that  fear  him. 

As  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west, 

So  far  hath  he  removed  our  transgressions  from  us. 

Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children. 

So  Jehovah  pitieth  them  that  fear  him. 

For  he  knoweth  our  frame; 

He  remembereth  that  we  are  dust. 

As  for  man,  his  days  are  as  grass; 

As  a  flower  of  the  field,  so  he  flourisheth. 

For  the  wind  passeth  over  it,  and  it  is  gone; 

And  the  place  thereof  shall  know  it  no  more. 

But  the  lovingkindness  of  Jehovah  is  from  everlasting  to 

everlasting  upon  them  that  fear  him, 
And  his  righteousness  unto  children's  children; 
To  such  as  keep  his  covenant. 
And  to  those  that  remember  his  precepts  to  do  them. 

109 


110  HEART  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

Jehovah  hath  established  his  throne  In  the  heavens; 

And  his  kingdom  ruleth  over  all. 

Bless  Jehovah,  ye  his  angels, 

That  are  mighty  in  strength,  that  fulfill  his  word, 

Hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  his  word. 

Bless  Jehovah,  all  ye  his  hosts, 

Ye  ministers  of  his,  that  do  his  pleasure. 

Bless  Jehovah,  all  ye  his  works. 

In  all  places  of  his  dominion: 

Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul." 


The  Music  op  the  Soul 

The  Adoration,  Learned  men  offering  precious  gifts 
as  they  bow  at  the  feet  of  the  infant  Jesus  is  the  pic- 
ture of  adoration  that  comes  to  mind  whenever  the  sub- 
ject is  broached.  The  mother  and  the  tiny  babe  sur- 
rounded by  the  surprised  cattle  in  a  stranger's  stable,  the 
stately  visitors  who  have  come  camel-back  over  the  desert, 
the  wonderful  richness  of  their  gifts — from  childhood  the 
scene  has  taken  firm  hold  upon  the  imagination.  And 
now,  with  the  driving  stress  of  an  upturned  world,  it  be- 
comes a  lesson  in  homage  to  the  God  whom  peoples  of  the 
widest  possible  diversity  are  claiming  as  their  God. 
Elaborate  forms  of  worship,  intricate  creeds,  lengthy 
prayers — all  that  was  a  part  of  a  gradual  development  in 
the  times  of  quiet  and  peace  to-day  fail  to  answer  man's 
religious  needs.  He  yearns  for  some  way  of  paying  homage 
to  God  that  will  be  an  expression  of  his  own  innermost 
desires  and  needs.  Amid  the  turmoil  and  the  disquiet- 
ing news,  and  among  the  lonely  and  those  whose  service 
stars  of  blue  have  been  replaced  by  shining  gold,  there 
is  a  longing  for  a  simple  approach  to  God.  New  songs 
of  praise  are  being  born  in  heart-experiences  which  may 
be  sung  to  God  alone.  Kecognition  of  his  sustaining 
strength  is  begetting  a  desire  to  spread  at  God's  feet  soul- 
offerings  which  are  exceedingly  personal.  Men  and  women 
to  whom  the  forms  and  ceremonies  of  established  religious 
institutions  are  strange  and  unfamiliar  are  seeking  to 
make  clear  to  God  the  earnestness  of  their  hearts,  just  as 
the  wise  men  of  the  Bethle]iem  stable  showed  to  the  new- 
born baby  King  their  high  respect  and  worship.     How 


ADORATION  AND  PRAISE  111 

shall  they  do  it?  Are  we  providing  ways  for  the  heart- 
psalms  born  of  bitter  grief  to  sing  their  way  to  God? 
Are  we  breaking  new  paths  which  will  be  accessible  to 
those  who  need  a  way  to  God  at  once?  Adoration  and 
praise  are  waiting  for  God  in  places  where  they  would 
not  have  been  looked  for  a  few  years  ago.  What  obliga- 
tion does  this  fact  put  upon  us  to  show  others  practical 
ways  of  expressing  to  Grod  the  things  that  they  do  not 
know  how  to  tell? 

Ancient  Songs  of  Praise.  A  man  has  been  doing  some 
hard  thinking  who  phrases  the  outburst  of  his  song  in  the 
words. 

Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul; 

And  all  that  is  within  me,  bless  his  holy  name. 

Many  there  are  who  bless  or  extol  the  name  of  God  who 
confine  the  entire  process  to  their  lips.  Not  of  this  multi- 
tude was  the  psalmist.  He  would  glorify  God  with  all 
that  he  possessed.  Not  only  with  his  soul,  which  to  him 
was  self  or  personality,  would  he  pay  homage.  The  whole 
range  of  his  powers  is  summoned  to  unite  in  praise  of 
the  one  alone  worthy  of  all  praise.  As  though  he  stood 
outside  of  himself  for  a  minute,  he  exhorts  every  power 
which  he  possesses.  The  sin  of  forgetfulness  comes  to 
his  mind  and  he  warns  his  soul  to  remember  all  that 
Jehovah  has  done  for  him.  Iniquities  have  been  blotted 
out.  SuJBPering  and  disease  have  been  done  away  with 
and  those  who  have  observed  it  have  known  that  he  was 
in  favor  with  God.  Both  he  and  his  people  had  been 
saved  out  of  Babylonian  destruction.  As  with  a  crown 
God's  goodness  and  mercy  had  rested  upon  him.  From 
the  grave  of  exile  he  and  his  neighbors  had  come  forth  to 
the  freshness  of  life  and  its  joys  in  the  land  of  their  youth. 
Vigor  like  that  of  the  eagle  soaring  toward  the  sun  was 
his.  His  heart  was  full  of  emotions  that  were  of  the 
most  personal  sort.  Bless  Jehovah?  Of  a  truth  "out  of 
the  fullness  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh"  in  the  case 
of  the  psalmist.  And  in  the  homage  prompted  by  the  con- 
fession of  what  God  had  done  for  him  he  spoke  in  words 
that  express  the  feeling  of  those  countless  thousands  who 


112  HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

give  God  praise  and  credit  for  the  things  in  their  lives 
for  which  he  is  responsible.  Why  is  it  that  our  song  of 
praise  to  God  so  often  flats?  What  purpose  of  mind 
had  the  psalmist  in  his  adoration  of  Jehovah  that  we  lack  ? 
There's  a  Song  in  the  Air.  Across  the  hearthstones  of 
the  peoples  of  all  nations  lie  the  shadows  of  war.  In 
countless  hospitals  men  are  lying  with  bodies  shattered  and 
reason  gone.  Within  sight  of  "No  Man's  Land"  sons  and 
brothers,  husbands  and  sweethearts  are  buried.  Where 
is  the  God  of  whom  the  psalmist  sang  ?  Have  folks  been 
mistaken  in  accepting  at  face  value  all  that  the  ages  have 
handed  down  concerning  his  love  and  care  for  man?  Is 
there  homage  yet  to  be  offered  to  a  God  whose  worshipers 
have  been  using  their  every  power  to  destroy  each  other? 
The  mind  questions  as  the  heart  breaks  at  the  memory 
of  the  news  from  overseas.  Is  it  a  time  to  lift  the  voice 
in  praise  of  God  for  his  lovingkindness  and  tender  mercy  ? 
Josiah  G.  Holland,  a  poet  of  our  own  day,  has  breathed 
for  us  a  song  that  we  sing  in  the  twilight  hours  of  the 
day: 

"There's  a  song  in  the  air! 
There's  a  star  in  the  sky! 
There's  a  mother's  deep  prayer, 
And  a  baby's  low  cry! 
And  the  star  rains  its  fire  while  the  beautiful  sing, 
For  the  manger  of  Bethlehem  cradles  a  King!" 


We  sing  it  in  the  twilight  hours,  for  then  is  the  time 
when  we  can  best  think  clearly  and  without  confusion. 
Wliat  God  means  in  our  lives  is  more  apparent  at  such 
a  time.  With  the  psalmist  we  recognize  what  we  would 
be  without  God.  The  news  of  battle,  the  treachery  of  men, 
the  hopeless  outlook  of  the  future — they  all  seem  to  melt 
into  the  vision  of  the  song  as  we  remember  Him  of  whom 
the  poet  sings.  The  ages  have  fought  themselves  into 
the  light  with  his  name  on  the  lips  of  men.  The  dark- 
ness of  night  has  time  and  again  rolled  back  with  the 
promise  of  morning  because  of  his  teachings  practiced 
by  men  and  women.  And  now  it  is  for  the  sake  of  his 
Kingdom  that  blood  has   been   shed,   homes   have   been 


ADORATION  AND  PRAISE  113 

thrown  into  grief,  lives  have  been  made  lonely  for  the 
rest  of  life's  journey.  And  in  it  all  stand  out  in  sharp 
relief  the  blessings  which  have  come  to  us  as  individuals, 
which  God  gave,  but  which  we  accepted  as  though  from  our 
own  hands.  There  is  more  reason  for  us  to  pay  homage 
to  God  than  there  was  for  the  psalmist  to  praise  him. 
Are  we  permitting  the  confusion  of  the  times  to  blind  us 
to  our  obligation  and  privilege?  The  King  of  our  song 
is  the  Saviour  of  men.    Let  us  praise  him ! 

God's  Goodness  and  Mercy 

Rejoicing  in  Judgment.  It  is  easy  to  approve  the 
judgments  that  fall  upon  others.  We  are  always  able  to 
see  why  they  deserve  all  they  get.  It  is  not  so  easy  to 
adjust  our  mind  to  the  acceptance  of  judgments  that 
come  to  us.  Why  is  this?  Have  we  failed  to  conform 
our  conception  of  God  to  the  entirety  of  his  nature  ?  Do 
we  think  of  him  only  as  a  dispenser  of  blessings  without 
giving  consideration  to  the  laws  by  which  he  is  able  to 
thus  bless?  The  psalmist  seems  to  have  been  able  to 
rejoice  in  judgments  which  concerned  himself.  Of  course 
the  one  under  consideration  was  a  judgment  which  blessed 
him  and  others  while  they  were  oppressed.  But  the  burden 
of  his  song  indicates  that  he  felt  his  own  responsibility  for 
the  attitude  of  God  toward  him,  for  he  was  not  an  un- 
spotted saint.  He  was  acquainted  with  sin.  He  knew 
the  rites  of  purification  from  sin.  Therefore  in  the  joy 
of  his  adoration  of  Jehovah  he  praises  him  as  one  who 
"executeth  righteous  acts.''  This  hits  both  ways,  and  the 
psalmist  accepts  the  full  swing  of  its  significance.  Do 
we?  Or  do  we  praise  God  when  things  go  smoothly  and 
forget  him  or  blame  him  when,  because  of  our  own 
stupidity,  or  sin,  the  course  of  our  life  becomes  storm- 
stirred  and  unhappy? 

Near-sighted  Vision.  The  defects  in  human  vision 
cause  men  to  get  queer  ideas  of  what  they  see.  Were 
they  to  recognize  the  defect  and  use  a  corrective  before 
giving  their  conclusions  it  would  not  be  quite  so  bad.  But 
many  will  not  do  this,  and  their  friends  are  constantly 


114  HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

embarrassed.  The  embarrassment  arising  over  a  man's 
near-sighted  vision  of  God  and  his  goodness  becomes  the 
man's  own.  It  first  limits  him  in  his  ability  to  think 
clearly  about  God,  and  then  drives  him  into  chidings  which 
are  not  based  upon  the  facts  themselves  but  upon  his  con- 
fused conception  of  them.  No  full-voiced  praise  rises 
from  such  men  and  women.  There  is  always  a  question 
which  makes  the  throat  clutch  and  the  song  refuse  to 
come.  The  punishments  which  men  receive  in  this  life 
for  their  sins  should  not  prevent  them  from  taking  the 
long  look.    The  psalmist  philosophizes.    He  says : 

"Jehovah  is  merciful  and  gracious, 
Slow  to  anger,  and  abundant  in  lovingkindness. 
He  will  not  always  chide; 
Neither  will  he  keep  his  anger  forever. 
He  hath  not  dealt  with  us  after  our  sins, 
Nor  rewarded  us  after  our  iniquities." 

The  psalmist  would  put  some  good  people  in  the  class 
of  the  criminal  who,  deserving  life-imprisonment  and 
getting  only  ten  years,  complained  about  the  hardship  of 
justice.  "God  is  always  the  benefactor,"  sings  the  ancient 
poet.  His  punishments  are  so  insignificant  compared  with 
the  blessings  which  he  has  showered  upon  men.  0  little 
minds  that  fail  to  see  the  boundless  mercy  of  God  even 
in  his  judgments! 

"There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy. 
Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea; 
There's  a  kindness  in  his  Justice, 
Which  is  more  than  liberty." 

So  sang  Frederick  W.  Faber.    So  the  psalmist  sang. 

A  Father's  Consideration.  Every  man  who  has  heard 
the  voice  of  a  little  child  saying  "Father*'  to  him  under-, 
stands  what  the  psalmist  meant  when  he  said : 

"Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children. 
So  Jehovah  pitieth  them  that  fear  him." 

What  father  has  not  tried  to  devise  ways  by  which  the 
boy  or  girl  might  grasp  his  more  mature  judgment  con- 


ADORATION  AND  PEAISE  115 

ceming  the  things  that  they  should  or  should  not  do? 
The  light  of  love  turning  to  perplexity  in  the  little  boy^s 
eyes — who  has  not  seen  it  and  prayed  for  better  wisdom 
with  which  to  make  things  plain?  Does  God  think  of  us 
in  that  way?  Is  he  concerned  that  we  shall  get  his 
viewpoint?  We  grieve  that  the  childhood  days  will  be 
over  so  soon.  God  remembers  the  mai:eup  of  man  and 
knows  that  his  days  of  earthly  life  are  all  too  short  to 
have  him  trudging  along  misunderstanding  his  heavenly 
Father.  The  young  man  who  thanks  his  father  for  the 
advice  and  loving  care  that  permitted  him  to  avoid  the 
pitfalls  of  youth  is  one  with  the  full-grown  man  who 
praises  God  for  his  father-love  and  protection  along  the 
passing  years.  For  with  that  relationship  assured  the 
coming  years  are  robbed  of  their  greatest  terrors.  Do  we 
feel  this  relationship  when  we  pray  "Our  Father"?  Are 
we  living  as  sons  and  daughters  worthy  of  such  a  father's 
love? 

The  Day's  Opportunity 

An  Eight-Hour  Day?  When  Jesus  was  about  to  give 
sight  to  a  man  born  blind  he  uttered  the  following  sig- 
nificant words:  "We  must  work  the  works  of  him  that 
sent  me,  while  it  is  day:  the  night  cometh,  when  no  man 
can  work."  There  was  no  time  limit  on  his  efforts  to  help 
men.  There  is  no  time  limit  used  by  God  in  .blessing 
mankind.  But  men  themselves  too  often  put  a  limit  of 
this  sort  on  the  homage  and  praise  which  they  give  to 
God.  What  is  the  reason?  Are  we  so  intent  upon  the 
lessening  of  our  hours  of  physical  labor  that  we  apply 
the  same  principles  to  our  heart-song  to  our  Creator  ?  Life 
is  short.  Most  of  us  are  far  behind  in  giving  to  God  the 
praise  due  him  for  personal  blessings  received.  If  we 
make  each  day  glow  with  our  song  of  devotion  we  cannot 
catch  up  what  we  have  neglected  to  do  in  the  days  now 
past.  We  are  craving  his  righteousness  for  our  children's 
children.  Shall  we  be  miserly  in  our  homage  to  one  from 
whom  we  expect  blessings  for  our  own  flesh  and  blood  when 
we  are  gone?  Of  course  each  day  is  crowded,  and  to- 
morrow will  be  more  crowded  than  to-day.     What  then? 


116  HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

Charles  Wesley  must  have  thought  about  this  matter,  for 

he  sings: 

"O  for  a  thousand  tongues  to  sing 

My  great  Redeemer's  praise, 

The  glories  of  my  God  and  King, 

The  triumphs  of  his  grace." 

Praise  such  as  he  would  give  could  not  be  given  in  a 
lifetime  with  but  one  tongue  to  utter  it.  What  shall  we 
say,  then,  who  do  not  even  keep  our  one  tongue  busy  with 
the  song  which  is  ever  striving  within  us  for  vocal  ex- 
pression? Have  we  limited  G^d  to  an  eight-hour  day? 
Or  do  we  put  that  limit  upon  our  homage  to  him  and 
expect  him  to  work  twenty-four  hours  a  day  for  us  ? 

The  Open  Shop,  There  is  no  closed  door  to  those  who 
would  praise  God  for  his  goodness.  Nor  is  there  any 
discrimination  made  as  to  who  may  have  his  blessings. 
Entrance  to  fellowship  with  him  is  for  all  on  the  same 
conditions.  Here  is  where  we  have  an  advantage  over  the 
psalmist.  Only  the  Israelites  were  God's  children,  in  his 
thinking.  But  for  our  day  the  entire  race  of  men  may 
qualify  by  accepting  the  conditions.  What  new  vision 
comes  into  the  psalm  as  we  sing  it  with  our  newer  oppor- 
tunity and  privilege !  "Whosoever  will  may  come !"  What 
a  babel  of  tongues  are  demonstrating  the  democracy  of 
the  kingdom  of  God  to-day!  The  ends  of  the  earth  are 
contributing  their  own  peculiar  words  to  the  song.  And 
a  meaning  born  out  of  an  ever-widening  range  of  human 
experience  is  sweeping  the  song  heavenward  with  a  homage 
that  the  psalmist  could  not  know.  Only  when  the  various 
tongues  live  in  our  own  neighborhood  do  we  begin  to 
make  definitions.  We  make  them;  God  does  not.  The 
psalmist  has  said  it  for  us,  although  he  knew  not  how 
he  prophesied: 

"The  lovingkindness  of  Jehovah  is  from  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting upon  them  that  fear  him, 
And  his  righteousness  unto  children's  children; 
To  such  as  keep  his  covenant, 

And  to  those  that  remember  his  precepts  to  do  them, 
Jehovah  has  established  his  throne  in  the  heayens; 
And  his  kingdom  ruleth  over  all." 


ADORATION  AND  PRAISE  117 

Why  should  we  make  tests  of  nationality?  of  education? 
of  social  status?  How  do  we  reconcile  this  attitude  with 
our  prayer,  "Thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the  power,  and 
the  glory"  ?  If  our  own  praise  of  God  were  perfect,  would 
we  keep  from  him  the  praise  of  those  who  would  sing  our 
song  if  our  love  would  teach  them  the  music  ? 

The  Homage  of  Toil.  Songs  of  service  find  a  ready 
response  to-day.  The  reality  of  religion  is  more  and 
more  manifesting  itself  in  life  relationships.  The  poet 
whose  phrases  ring  out  in  music  from  the  multitude  gets 
his  inspiration  from  the  toilers  of  the  world,  whether 
they  be  the  captains  of  industry  or  the  humble  feeders 
of  a  blast  furnace.  Men  are  being  rated  in  accordance 
with  the  living  of  the  creed  that  they  profess.  Homage 
to  God  is  being  lived  out  in  the  trying  experiences  of  the 
day's  work.  What  sort  of  a  contribution  to  the  praise 
of  God  are  we  making  in  this  respect?  The  pressure  of 
modern  life  is  rapidly  tearing  away  every  shred  of  pre- 
tense from  men.  Folks  are  coming  to  be  known  for  just 
what  they  are.  The  war  has  laid  hearts  bare  without 
reserve.  God  is  being  known  in  new  terminology.  Where 
do  we  stand  in  all  this?  The  daily  task  given  us  to  do 
may  become  a  dreary  routine  or  a  psalm  of  praise.  With 
our  minds  set  to  do  God's  will  and  to  "forget  not  all  his 
benefits"  we  may  have  a  large  part  in  the  song  which 
the  world  is  trying  to  learn  through  bloodshed,  suffering, 
and  woe.  Wherever  we  are  placed  is  our  opportunity. 
Are  we  equal  to  it?  In  our  search  for  words  with  which 
to  express  our  adoration  of  God  and  our  Master,  Jesus 
Christ,  let  us  so  toil  day  by  day  that  here  and  there  a 
note  will  be  struck  that  will  give  us  a  part  in  the  psalmisfs 
song  when  he  cries  out : 

•'Bless  Jehovah,  ye  his  angels, 
That  are  mighty  in  strength,  that  fulfill  his  word, 
Hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  his  word. 
Bless  Jehovah,  all  ye  his  hosts, 
Ye  ministers  of  his,  that  do  his  pleasure. 
Bless  Jehovah,  all  ye  his  works, 
In  all  places  of  his  dominion: 
Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul." 


118  HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 


Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

"What  heart  conditions  are  necessary  in  order  to  pay 
homage  to  God? 

To  what  extent  is  the  psalmist's  song  an  expression  of 
our  experience? 

Compare  praise  to  God  for  personal  and  community 
blessings. 

How  far  is  it  possible  for  us  to  keep  a  balance  between 
blessings  and  praise  ? 

What  effect  has  the  war  had  upon  our  praise  to  God? 

Discuss  ways  of  helping  others  to  think  clearly  on  this 
question. 

In  what  way  has  our  ability  to  accept  judgment  been 
lessened  ? 

How  does  the  father-relationship  help  us  to  understand 
God? 


CHAPTEK  XII 
GRATITUDE  AND  THANKSGIVING 

The  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Psalm 

'I  love  Jehovah,  because  he  heareth 

My  voice  and  my  supplications. 

Because  he  hath  inclined  his  ear  unto  me, 

Therefore  will  I  call  upon  him  as  long  as  I  live. 

The  cords  of  death  compassed  me, 

And  the  pains  of  Sheol  gat  hold  upon  me; 

I  found  trouble  and  sorrow. 

Then  called  I  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah: 

0  Jehovah,  I  beseech  thee,  deliver  my  soul. 
Gracious  is  Jehovah,  and  righteous; 

Yea,  our  God  is  merciful. 
Jehovah  preserveth  the  simple: 

1  was  brought  low,  and  he  saved  me. 
Return  unto  thy  rest,  O  my  soul; 

For  Jehovah  hath  dealt  bountifully  with  thee. 

For  thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from  death, 

Mine  eyes  from  tears. 

And  my  feet  from  falling. 

I  will  walk  before  Jehovah 

In  the  land  of  the  living. 

I  believe,  for  I  will  speak: 

I  was  greatly  afflicted: 

I  said  in  my  haste, 

All  men  are  liars. 

What  shall  I  render  unto  Jehovah 

For  all  his  benefits  toward  me? 

I  will  take  the  cup  of  salvation, 

And  call  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah. 

I  will  pay  my  vows  unto  Jehovah, 

Yea,  in  the  presence  of  all  his  people. 

Precious  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah 

Is  the  death  of  his  saints. 

0  Jehovah,  truly  I  am  thy  servant: 

1  am  thy  servant,  the  son  of  thy  handmaid; 
Thou  hast  loosed  my  bonds. 

119 


120  HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

I  will  offer  to  thee  the  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving. 

And  will  call  upon  the  name  of  Jehoyah. 

Yea,  in  the  presence  of  all  his  people, 

I  will  pay  my  vows  unto  Jehovah, 

In  the  courts  of  Jehovah's  house, 

In  the  midst  of  thee,  O  Jerusalem. 

Praise  ye  Jehovah." 


Wheee  Do  Wb  Stand  ? 

The  Usual  Way.  The  man  who  would  have  given  any- 
thing rather  than  have  lost  the  scarf-pin  presented  to  him 
by  his  wife  usually  rewards  the  finder  with  a  meager 
gift.  So  great  is  the  difference  between  our  sense  of  ap- 
preciation before  we  secure  that  which  we  desire  and  after 
it  is  obtained.  One  might  almost  imagine,  from  many 
reports  made  of  great  achievements,  that  the  individual 
making  the  report  was  under  no  obligations  to  anyone  but 
himself  for  its  content  and  form.  How  much  credit  does 
the  young  artist  give  to  the  master  who  taught  him  to 
discern  form,  to  mix  colors,  and  to  interpret  life  and 
emotion  on  a  bit  of  canvas  ?  Frequently  the  only  mention 
of  the  man  who  led  him  to  the  heights  is  by  way  of 
criticism  or  disparagement.  Are  we  more  just?  Do  we 
so  recognize  what  others  do  for  us  that  we  feel  grateful 
to  them?  And  do  we  express  our  gratitude  to  them? 
Song  and  story  are  full  of  the  sad  drama  of  ingratitude. 
Every  heart,  at  times,  feels  a  twitch  because  of  the  part 
memory  demands  we  each  play  in  that  drama.  We  are  able 
to  see  all  this  in  those  about  us  because  the  ingratitude  is 
directed  at  us.  It  causes  us  to  question  the  worthwhile- 
ness  of  continuing  to  do  for  others.  Could  we  not  use  our 
time  to  better  advantage?  Then  with  a  start  we  realize 
that  the  exhortation,  "Let  him  who  lives  in  a  glass  house 
avoid  the  stone-throwing  habit,'^  has  a  pointed  implication 
for  us.  We  are  guilty  of  forgetting  the  hand  that  fed 
us,  the  sympathy  that  cheered  us,  the  mind  that  directed 
us.  A  bit  of  reminiscence  permits  the  checking  a  long  list 
of  those  whose  lives  would  have  been  brighter  had  we 
shown  our  gratitude  for  what  they  did  for  us.  Worse,  still, 
is  the  accusing  finger  which  points  at  us  all  along  memory's 


GRATITUDE  AND  THANKSGIVING         121 

highway,  reminding  us  that  we  have  also  been  ungrateful 
to  God.  Has  it  been  thoughtlessness  ?  Just  why  have  we 
failed  at  this  point? 

"There's  a  Reason/'  It  is  a  bit  awkward  to  begin  giv- 
ing expression  to  gratitude  after  years  of  neglecting  to 
do  it.  However,  one  soon  becomes  used  to  it,  and  its 
practice  brings  a  richer,  keener  appreciation  of  the  oppor- 
tunities and  blessings  of  life.  Thus  item  after  item  is 
added  to  the  reasons  why  our  song  should  be  a  psalm 
of  thanksgiving  rather  than  a  dirge  of  complaint.  From 
childhood  to  old  age  blessings  multiply.  Simple  little 
events  of  happiness  give  place  to  the  deeper  experiences 
of  mature  life,  until  each  day  is  full  of  causes  for  grate- 
fulness. In  addition  to  our  thoughtlessness  in  the  expres- 
sion of  our  gratitude  we  lessen  the  force  of  the  reasons 
for  being  grateful  by  a  wrong  way  of  estimating  our 
blessings.  Should  a  poor  man  refuse  to  thank  God  for 
his  bread  and  meat,  his  humble  but  happy  home,  his  wife 
and  children,  all  well  about  him,  because  he  reads  in  the 
newspapers  of  those  able  to  spend  the  winter  at  Palm 
Beach  or  the  summer  in  the  mountains  ?  There  are  other 
elements  that  should  be  considered.  A  year  previous  this 
man  was  without  work,  his  family  were  without  food,  and 
one  of  his  children  sick  unto  death.  What  basis  of  com- 
parison should  he  use  in  finding  a  reason  for  gratitude 
to  God?  True,  he  might  long  for  even  better  conditions, 
and  without  doubt  economic  conditions  ought  to  be 
remedied  so  that  he  shall  have  them,  but  has  he  no  cause 
to  be  grateful  even  for  things  as  they  are?  How  does 
this  man  differ  from  us?  The  psalmist  states  his  reason 
for  being  grateful  in  the  first  note  of  his  song : 

"I  love  JehoYah,  because  he  heareth 
My  voice  and  my  supplications." 

Throughout  the  psalm  one  hears  the  undertone  of  "There's 
a  reason.''  The  psalmist  had  been  at  the  gates  of  death. 
Sorrow,  trouble,  and  despair  were  his  portion.  Life  held 
a  very  gloomy  outlook.  He  classed  himself  with  the  simple, 
those  whose  lack  of  wisdom  and  experience  exposes  them 
to  danger.    Out  of  this  state  of  hopelessness  Jehovah  had 


122  HBAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

lifted  him  to  health  and  happiness.  Was  he  grateful? 
Did  he  go  around  telling  his  neighbors  that  "the  fever 
could  not  have  run  much  longer,  anyway"?  Listen  to 
his  words: 

"Gracious  is  Jehovah,  and  righteous; 
Yea,  our  God  is  merciful. 

Eeturn  unto  thy  rest,  O  my  soul; 

For  Jehovah   hath   dealt  bountifully  with  thee. 

For  thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from  death, 

Mine  eyes  from  tears, 

And  my  feet  from  falling." 

The  psalmist  leaves  no  question  as  to  a  sense  of  gratitude 
on  his  part.  He  had  received  a  blessing  from  God.  He 
recognized  it.  He  felt  that  there  was  sufficient  reason 
for  giving  expression  to  his  gratitude.  So  he  sings  a  song 
of  thanksgiving  for  all  the  ages  to  hear  and  heed.  Do 
we  "count  our  blessings/'  or  do  we  merely  complain  about 
those  which  we  fail  to  receive? 

The  Ohligation  to  Give  Thanks.  A  feeling  of  obligation 
to  give  thanks  rested  upon  the  heart  of  the  psalmist. 
Whatever  crudities  of  civilization  may  have  hampered  his 
life  or  hindered  his  thinking,  he  was  many  centuries  in 
advance  of  some  folks  who  pride  themselves  on  this  present 
age  of  opportunity  and  refinement.  He  was  unable  to 
receive  great  blessings  without  making  suitable  acknowl- 
edgment. He  was  the  sort  of  man  who  would  thank 
another  for  helping  in  his  advancement,  for  watching 
through  the  night  with  his  sick  loved  ones.  Had  he  been 
a  woman,  he  would  thank  the  tired  laborer  who  gave  up 
his  seat  in  the  crowded  car  during  the  rush  hour,  the 
neighbor  who  called  attention  to  tendencies  in  a  child 
which  the  mother  had  not  observed.  Can  any  honest  per- 
son receive  even  the  ordinary  blessings  of  life  without 
feeling  some  such  obligation  ?  Why  should  the  atmosphere 
of  "The  world  owes  me  a  living*'  pervade  our  relations 
with  others  so  insistently?  Why  throw  such  a  challenge 
into  the  face  of  God?  Our  efforts  to  teach  our  children 
to  say  "Thank  you''  should  be  pushed  far  enough  to  ex- 
plain to  them  the  philosophy  of  gratitude  and  thanks- 


GRATITUDE  AND  THANKSGIVING         123 

giving.  The  form  of  gratitude  will  then  develop  into  the 
spirit  of  thankfulness  as  the  years  go  by.  Our  own  feel- 
ings toward  others  when  they  fail  to  meet  this  obligation 
to  us  is  sufficient  evidence  of  such  a  need.  If  a  "Polly- 
anna"  crusade  is  worth  the  propaganda,  what  results  might 
we  not  obtain  in  a  campaign  of  "Give  thanks  for  what 
you  receive"?  Why  not  start  it  in  a  small  way  with 
ourselves  ? 

Methods  and  Ways 

A  Method  of  Life,  The  psalmist  took  his  troubles  to 
God  in  prayer.  This  indicates  a  state  of  preparedness. 
He  did  not  wait  until  the  day  of  disaster  to  learn  how  to 
pray.  It  was  a  part  of  his  method  of  life.  He  counted 
God  in  on  all  of  his  affairs,  so  that  God  knew  the  especial 
urgency  of  the  present  occasion  for  help.  Prayer  as  a 
habit  of  life  implies  righteous  purpose.  The  psalmist 
lived  with  his  mind  toward  God.  He  had  been  daily 
"growing  in  grace."  When  he  prayed,  "0  Jehovah,  I 
beseech  thee,  deliver  my  soul,"  he  did  so  with  the  assur- 
ance that  his  petition  would  be  heard.  One  would  like  to 
have  known  the  psalmist.  He  is  refreshing.  The  heat 
of  the  day  becomes  restful  in  his  presence.  One  feels  the 
presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  atmosphere  of  per- 
plexity clarifies.  In  the  rush  of  business  and  society  and 
cares  one  hears  a  voice  saying,  "Be  still  and  know  that 
I  am  God."  It  was  knowing  God  that  put  such  confidence 
into  the  prayer  of  the  psalmist.  It  is  knowing  God  that 
gives  visions  to  singers  of  God  in  a  day  like  our  own. 
The  psalmist's  experience  appears  isolated  because  he 
caught  a  strain  of  music  and  breathed  into  it  his  faith. 
But  all  about  us  are  men  and  women  singing  with  assur- 
ance in  the  midst  of  such  commonplace  experiences  as 
washing  of  dishes,  mending  of  shoes,  running  of  great 
factories,  editing  newspapers,  driving  of  big  campaigns. 
Jesus  has  made  it  possible  for  men  to  know  God.  Those 
who  have  attained  this  knowledge  do  not  boast  about  it. 
What  they  do  is  to  proclaim  the  help  which  God  gives  to 
them.  They  "praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 
Are  they  fanatic?    Was  the  psalmist?    We  cannot  com- 


124  HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

pute  the  service  rendered  to  the  Kingdom  by  such  pro- 
claiming of  God's  goodness,  but  we  do  know  how  it  has 
helped  us.  What  promise  of  hope  have  we  instilled  into 
other  hearts  by  letting  folks  know  that  we  know  God? 
Or  are  we  still  among  those  who  take  a  pride  in  an- 
nouncing that  "God  knows  us'*?  What  is  our  method  of 
life  in  this  respect? 

God's  Method.  Faith  and  faithfulness  are  intimately 
related  in  the  mind  of  God.  At  least  his  manifested 
goodness  would  so  imply.  And  the  experience  of  the 
psalmist  seems  to  bear  out  the  implication.  In  the  ex- 
treme situation  wherein  the  psalmist  uttered  a  cry  for 
help  he  had  not  let  go  his  faith  in  God.  Instead  he 
used  it  and  was  faithful  in  the  observance  of  all  that 
faith  in  God  demands.  God  dealt  with  him  on  that  basis. 
Since  he  had  pleaded  with  God  with  assurance  that  God 
is  both  righteous  and  merciful,  he  knew  full  well  that 
any  answer  which  would  bring  relief  would  take  into 
account  both  faith  and  faithfulness.  God  uses  that  method 
with  men  to-day,  both  in  response  to  personal  prayers  and 
prayers  for  the  advancement  of  his  kingdom  on  earth.  The 
movements  and  campaigns  in  the  church  that  have  been 
launched  by  faith  are  legion.  The  number  that  have  failed 
is  very  large.  Those  that  have  been  successful  have  been 
marked  by  faithfulness  as  well  as  faith.  Was  God  un- 
mindful of  all  those  that  failed?  Did  he  fail  to  appreci- 
ate what  was  being  asked  and  done  for  the  sake  of  his 
kingdom?  No.  That  faith  which  lacks  faithfulness  is 
of  too  surface  a  nature  to  count  on  in  the  long,  hard 
drive  of  establishing  righteousness  in  the  hearts  of  men 
as  an  every-day,  workable  proposition.  If  we  ask  God  to 
lead  every  man  and  woman  in  the  community  into  fellow- 
ship with  the  church,  and  then  we  fail  to  practice  the 
principles  upon  which  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  is 
founded,  ought  we  to  expect  the  answer  of  our  prayer? 
A  prayer  that  does  not  have  back  of  it  faithful  living 
according  to  the  laws  of  God  does  not  throb  with  the 
faith  that  overcomes.  It  lacks  that  force  of  which  grati- 
tude and  thanksgiving  are  the  external  expressions.  It 
is  wanting  in  the  assurance  which  comes  from  a  knowl- 


GEATITUDE  AND  THANKSGIVING         125 

edge  of  God  obtained  through  a  life  of  living  his  way  and 
thinking  his  thoughts.  The  prayer-life  of  a  multitude  of 
earnest  folks  is  impoverished  by  a  failure  to  take  this 
truth  into  account.  More  saddening  than  the  personal 
loss  is  the  tremendous  drag  put  upon  the  progress  of  the 
Kingdom  by  such  prayers  and  such  lives.  In  what  ways 
does  our  faith  and,  hence,  God^s  response  to  our  prayers 
suffer  because  of  our  lack  of  faithfulness? 

The  Testiinony  of  Conviction.  The  man  cured  of  rheu- 
matism by  a  particular  medicine  does  not  keep  the  good 
news  all  to  himself.  Meet  him  where  you  will,  on  the 
street  corner,  in  the  shop,  or  in  the  vestibule  of  the 
church,  and  he  begins  to  sing  the  praises  of  his  cure.  You 
tell  him  that  you  are  not  troubled  with  rheumatism,  and 
he  endeavors  to  persuade  you  that  you  may  be  at  some 
later  date  and  had  better  be  prepared.  As  long  as  he 
lives  he  will  shout  his  gratitude  from  the  housetops  in 
order  that  folks  may  find  help  for  their  own  troubles. 
Conviction  lies  back  of  such  thanksgiving.  Could  you 
convince  him  that  perhaps  the  remedy  did  not  eifect  the 
cure,  some  change  of  diet,  or  the  weather  may  have  been 
responsible?  Try  it.  Have  you  never  had  such  strong 
convictions  that  you  simply  must  talk  about  them?  That 
is  the  way  the  psalmist  felt.  In  his  distress  he  had  shouted, 
"All  men  are  liars !"  But  he  did  not  lose  faith  in  God 
on  account  of  this  conviction.  Why  do  we  so  often  con- 
fuse men  and  God  when  men  are  unfaithful  ?  All  around 
us  are  circumstances  and  conditions  which  evoke  utter- 
ances similar  to  the  psalmist^s.  Were  we  to  say  "Amen" 
to  these  accusations,  there  would  be  no  need  of  our  con- 
fusing these  acts  of  men  with  God's  goodness  and  mercy. 
The  psalmist  may  have  felt  that  men  were  all  liars,  but 
he  did  not  implicate  God  in  the  accusation.  Why  do  we 
conclude  that  the  church  is  a  failure  because  a  trustee 
short-weighed  our  coal  or  a  church  sister  talked  about 
us  behind  our  back?  The  psalmist  was  convinced  that 
even  if  men  were  untrustworthy,  God  is  to  be  relied  upon. 
He  made  a  distinction  well  worth  more  than  our  passing 
notice,  for  on  that  distinction  he  set  forth  on  his  future 
life  journey  among  men. 


126  HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 


Let  Men  Know 

Gratitude's  Finest  Expression.  Do  we  ever  sit  down 
to  figure  out  the  best  expression  of  gratitude  that  we  can 
give  for  God's  goodness?  Or  do  we  simply  say,  "We 
thank  thee,  Lord,''  and  let  the  cause  of  our  gratitude  pass 
from  our  mind  ?  The  psalmist  thought  the  matter  through 
very  carefully.  The  thoroughness  of  his  consideration 
is  seen  in  the  conclusion  which  he  reached.  He  could 
not  forget  the  cause  which  he  had  for  gratitude.  One  who 
walks  for  the  first  time  after  weeks  of  enfeebling  sickness 
knows  why  he  could  not  forget.  It  was  his  faith  and 
faithfulness  that  stirred  God  to  answer  his  prayer.  Men 
had  not  helped  him.  There  is  a  pathos  in  his  desire  as 
he  cries: 

"What  shall  I  render  unto  Jehovah 
For  all  his  benefits  toward  me?" 

Poetry  gives  place  to  prayer  as  he  asks  for  light  and 
guidance.  Are  we  as  concerned  as  this  man  was?  Over 
and  over  he  mulls  his  query :  "What  shall  I  render  ?  What 
shall  I  render?''  The  answer  comes  like  a  profession  of 
faith: 

"I  will  take  the  cup  of  salvation 
And  call  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah." 

Away  to  the  temple !  He  will  publicly  proclaim  his  grati- 
tude. Every  worshiper  shall  see  him  and  go  home  to  tell 
the  folks.  It  shall  become  neighborhood  talk.  As  he 
puts  to  his  lips  the  cup  which  was  a  part  of  the  sacrifice 
of  thanksgiving  for  great  and  manifold  deliverance  all 
the  world  shall  know  that  God  has  been  wonderfully  good 
to  him.  He  was  not  only  willing,  but  anxious,  to  give 
thanks  "in  the  presence  of  all  the  people."  Are  we?  Do 
we?  Why  not?  He  was  willing  to  "call  upon"  or  pro- 
claim the  name  of  Jehovah,  so  that  all  might  know  to 
whom  his  gratitude  was  due.  How  about  starting  such 
an  excellent  plan  ourselves? 

The  Sacrifice  of  Thanksgiving.  The  sacrifice  of  thanks- 
giving had  a  technical  significance  to  the  psalmist.     It 


GRATITUDE  AND  THANKSGIVING         127 

was  a  part  of  the  ritual  of  the  church.  It  involved  "un- 
leavened cakes  mingled  with  oil,  and  unleavened  wafers 
anointed  with  oil,  and  cakes  mingled  with  oil,  of  fine  flour 
soaked."  It  was  formal  and  ritualistic.  But  to  the 
psalmist  it  had  deep  personal  significance,  otherwise  he 
would  not  have  celebrated  the  event  in  song.  To  him  it 
was  the  giving  expression  to  gratitude  so  great  that  he 
must  carry  it  into  the  worship  of  his  church.  No  other 
place  was  sacred  enough.  Why  sing  his  thanksgiving  to 
a  few  friends  at  a  dinner  party?  Why  recite  his  joy 
and  gratitude  to  the  people  next  door?  No  place  but  the 
temple  would  do.  No  expression  but  that  of  the  ritual  of 
the  church  would  satisfy. 

"I  will  offer  to  thee  the  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving. 
And  will  call  upon  the  name  of  Jehovah. 
I  will  pay  my  vows  unto  Jehovah, 
Yea,  in  the  presence  of  all  his  people. 
In  the  courts  of  Jehovah's  house, 
In  the  midst  of  thee,  O  Jerusalem. 
Praise  ye  Jehovah." 

There  is  nothing  half-hearted  about  the  psalmist.  He 
made  his  religion  a  thoroughgoing  affair.  When  he  had 
cause  for  gratitude  he  made  it  as  public  as  he  did  his 
cry  for  help  in  his  hour  of  need.  What  sacrifices  of 
thanksgiving  are  we  offering  ?  In  what  sort  of  service  may 
we  render  it  more  effectively?  To  what  extent  are  we 
availing  ourselves  of  this  great  privilege? 


Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

What  reasons  have  we  to  be  grateful  to  others?  To 
God? 

To  what  extent  do  we  consider  the  expression  of  grati- 
tude something  we  may  give  or  not,  just  as  we  see  fit  ? 

What  relation  has  prayer  to  an  attitude  of  gratitude? 

Think  over  some  acts  of  faithfulness  which  have 
strengthened  your  faith  and  made  you  less  faltering  in 
prayer. 


128  HEART  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

To  what  extent  do  you  square  up  your  convictions  with 
God^s  goodness? 

Are  we  ready  and  willing  to  give  God  credit  in  public 
for  his  goodness  to  us  ?    Why  do  we  not  do  it  then  ? 

What  acts  of  service  are  we  performing  because  of  grati- 
tude to  God? 

What  effect  would  honest  expression  of  our  gratitude 
to  God  have  on  the  life  of  our  home?  our  church?  our 
community  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII 
HOPE 

The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-Sixth  Psalm 

"When  Jehovah  brought  back  those   that  returned  to  Zion, 
We  were  like  unto  them  that  dream. 
Then  was  our  mouth  filled  with  laughter. 
And  our  tongue  with  singing: 
Then  said  they  among  the  nations, 
Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  them. 
Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us. 
Whereof  we  are  glad. 
Turn  again  our  captivity,  O  Jehovah, 
As  the  streams  in  the  south. 
They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy. 
He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  seed  for  sowing, 
Shall  doubtless  come  again  with  joy,  bringing  his  sheaves 
with  Mm." 

Sane  Optimism 

What  Is  Hope?  The  dictionary  of  life  furnishes  the 
best  definitions  of  hope.  He  who  searches  in  books  for 
fitting  phraseology  with  which  to  clothe  it  is  never  satis- 
fied until  he  discovers  a  writer  who  explains  hope  as  he 
himself  has  experienced  it.  To  catalogue  the  hopes  that 
have  entered  into  the  thinking  of  the  average  individual 
would  be  to  write  his  biography,  so  interwoven  with  the 
day's  experiences  are  they.  To  recite  an  academic  defini- 
tion of  hope  as  "desire  accompanied  with  expectation  of 
obtaining  what  is  desired,  or  belief  that  it  is  obtainable," 
may  win  a  perfect  mark  in  the  classroom  of  the  grammar 
school,  but  it  does  not  give  the  content  to  the  word  which 
maturity  and  the  stress  of  life  demands.  How  would  you 
define  it?  Would  your  reference  books  be  your  source 
material  ?  Or  would  the  memory  of  dull  and  gloomy  days, 
when  you  were  kept  going  by  the  sense  of  a  brighter  to- 
morrow,   supply   you    with    the    concrete    material    with 

129 


130  HEAET  MESSAGES  FKOM  THE  PSALMS 

which  to  make  your  meaning  clear  to  others  ?  The  psalm- 
ist's song  was  written  on  a  bad  day.  Immediate  prospects 
were  rather  gloomy.  He  had  seen  a  great  hope  fulfilled 
up  to  a  certain  point;  then  it  stopped.  So  happy  had  his 
fathers  been  in  the  return  of  his  people  from  their  cap- 
tivity in  Babylon  that  their  hearts  overflowed  with  joy. 
The  Israelites  had  experienced  such  a  wonderful  deliver- 
ance from  an  intolerable  situation  that  they  were  as  men 
dreaming  dreams.  They  could  not  credit  their  senses. 
They  rubbed  their  eyes  to  see  if  they  were  actually  awake. 
They  laughed  and  they  sang.  They  shouted  for  very 
joy.  As  men  freed  from  prison  after  years  of  confine- 
ment blink  bewilderingly  at  the  sun  and  know  not  which 
way  to  turn,  so  were  they.  Even  the  heathen  had  ceased 
their  worship  of  Baal  for  a  little  while  to  comment  on 
the  way  that  Jehovah  had  finally  come  to  the  rescue  of  his 
people.  The  psalmist  rejoiced  in  their  experience  as  he 
cast  his  song  into  appropriate  form.  Why  not  hope  for 
great  things  himself?  He  does.  And  he  hopes  largely. 
He  bases  his  hope  for  his  generation  on  what  God  did 
for  his  fathers.  For  what  did  he  hope?  It  may  be  that 
in  such  questions  our  own  understanding  of  hope  will 
define  itself.  In  what  do  we  center  our  hopes?  What 
material  hopes  have  we?  What  intellectual  hopes?  Are 
our  spiritual  hopes  allied  with  the  other  desires  of  our 
life  ?  Little  children  are  asking  for  the  definition  of  hope. 
They  find  the  word  in  song  and  story.  Conversation  is 
fraught  with  it.  Political  conventions  ring  with  it.  Is 
the  definition  of  hope  or  the  objects  of  hope  of  most  sig- 
nificance? How  would  you  explain  it?  In  through  the 
window  comes  the  sound  of  a  sweet  voice  singing : 

"My  hope  is  built  on  nothing  less 
Than  Jesus'  blood  and  righteousness." 

Is  hope  of  itself  an  experience?  Out  of  our  own  book  of 
the  knowledge  of  life,  what  do  we  find  hope  to  be  ? 

The  Goad  of  Rope.  The  women  who  clung  to  the  life 
spars  when  thrown  into  the  sea  from  the  stricken  Lusitania 
found  hope  all  that  kept  them  alive  until  rescued.  The 
victories  of  life  which  have  been  won  through  hope  are 


HOPE  131 

not  to  be  numbered.  With  everything  against  him — 
out  of  work,  sickness  at  home,  money  all  gone,  clothes 
so  shabby  that  he  is  turned  away  from  places  advertising 
for  help — man  after  man  has  continued  to  tramp  the 
city  streets  until  work  has  been  found.  What  material  for 
gripping  novels  has  been  found  along  the  trail  of  hope ! 
How  the  souls  of  men  and  women  have  been  stirred  to 
try  just  a  little  bit  longer  because  of  hope!  He  who 
hopes  does  not  sit  with  folded  hands.  He  is  active.  He 
strives  to  secure  that  for  which  he  hopes.  Hope  enlivens 
him  to  greater  earnestness  and  endeavor.  It  was  this  sort 
of  stimulus  that  acted  as  a  goad  to  the  psalmist.  It  kept 
him  hard  at  the  task  of  helping  to  reestablish  the  worship 
of  Jehovah  in  his  native  land.  Putting  a  nation  on  its 
feet  after  years  of  exile  is  not  an  easy  task.  Habits  of 
life,  newly  acquired  customs,  looseness  in  observing  reli- 
gious obligations,  lack  of  a  sense  of  national  loyalty — 
it  is  a  task  for  more  than  a  day  to  correct  all  these  things. 
People  saved  from  great  hardship  soon  forget  those  who 
relieved  them.  All  manner  of  obstacles  and  disappoint- 
ments had  entered  into  what  looked  like  a  task  easy  of 
accomplishment.  Men  become  anxious  and  fearful  when 
engaged  in  great  undertakings.  It  is  difficult  to  realize 
that  others  are  capable  of  large  trust  in  aifairs.  The 
psalmist  knew  all  this.  He  was  too  busy,  however,  to 
permit  it  to  dampen  his  ardor.  He  had  a  great  hope.  In 
so  far  as  he  was  responsible  for  its  fulfillment  there  would 
be  no  failure.  To  what  extent  does  hope  stimulate  us  to 
labor  for  the  possible  achievements  of  to-morrow?  The 
psalmist  hoped  for  a  life  for  his  people  in  which  Jehovah 
was  worshiped  and  given  full  sway.  That  such  a  day 
would  arrive  he  had  no  doubt.  His  hope  would  keep  him 
buoyant  and  enthusiastic  during  the  intervening  years. 
While  he  hoped  and  toiled  the  processes  essential  to  such 
a  culmination  would  be  at  work.  In  due  time  the  de- 
velopment of  his  people  would  meet  God's  part  in  hope's 
fruition  and  the  song  of  the  harvesters  would  be  heard  in 
the  land.  The  Christian  life  is  not  attained  in  a  day. 
There  are  many  hours  after  conversion  when  the  psalmist's 
experience  is  relived.    Does  the  hope  of  some  day  becom- 


132  HEAET  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

ing  Christlike  stimulate  to  nobler  living  to-day?  Count 
over  some  of  the  things  accomplished  and  difficulties  over- 
come because  of  such  hope.  Where  hope  drives  the  soul 
to  honest  endeavor  in  Christian  living,  intimate  fellow- 
ship with  Christ  himself  is  not  far  off. 

Hope's  Foundation.  There  is  some  basis  for  the  hope 
expressed  in  the  singing  "When  the  roll  is  called  up 
yonder,  I'll  be  there."  Eegardless  of  the  musical,  psy- 
chological, or  theological  correctness  of  the  hymn,  such 
high  hope  does  not  exist  without  foundation.  No  more  did 
the  hope  of  the  psalmist.  With  historic  perspective  he 
says: 

"When  Jehovah  brought  back  those  that  returned  to  Zion, 
We  were  like  unto  them  that  dream. 
Then  was  our  mouth  filled  with  laughter, 
And  our  tongue  with  singing: 
Then  said  they  among  the  nations, 
Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  them. 
Jehovah  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
Whereof  we  are  glad. 

This  Jehovah,  whom  he  would  have  his  people  worship; 
this  God,  in  whom  he  put  his  trust,  had  already  helped. 
Why  not  hope  for  further  assistance  ?  The  joyous  experi- 
ence of  those  days  now  celebrated  in  his  song  will  be 
repeated.  As  the  parched  and  feeble  brooks  in  the  south 
country  swell  and  overflow  their  banks  when  God  sends 
the  rains,  so  the  weak  community  of  Israel  will  be  rein- 
vigorated  with  fresh  enthusiasm,  material  blessing,  and 
the  Spirit  of  Jehovah.  Hope  is  not  mysterious.  How  do 
we  lay  foundations  for  our  hopes?  Have  the  blessings  of 
God  in  the  past  been  of  sufficient  significance  to  warrant 
our  hope  for  future  blessings?  Or  are  we  now  in  the 
process  of  laying  the  foundations  of  a  Christian  life  upon 
which  to  base  our  hopes  of  to-morrow? 

A  Few  Adjustments 

Wky  the  Delay?  If  we  put  as  close  a  time  limit  on 
our  own  achievements  as  we  sometimes  do  on  the  fulfill- 
ment of  our  hoj)es,  a  new  day  would  dawn  in  the  affairs 


HOPE  133 

of  men.  Our  own  needs  and  desires  loom  up  so  high  that 
we  forget  the  part  that  our  faithful  performance  of  daily 
duty  has  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  hopes  of  others.  Why 
do  we  insist  upon  our  hope  becoming  realization  so  swiftly? 
Men  hope  for  success  in  business,  but  they  do  not  expect 
it  to  come  the  first  week.  They  put  capital  into  it.  They 
study  the  people  likely  to  trade  with  them.  They  pur- 
chase salable  goods.  They  launch  a  campaign  of  advertis- 
ing. They  treat  the  few  customers  with  the  same  cour- 
teousness  that  they  would  a  store  full.  If  the  business 
for  which  they  hoped  does  not  materialize,  they  do  not 
blame  the  people  for  not  thronging  their  place  of  busi- 
ness. They  do  ask,  "Why  the  delay?''  But  they  ask  it 
with  reference  to  their  analysis  of  the  people,  their  selec- 
tion of  goods,  and  their  method  of  advertising.  They 
revise  their  system.  Each  day  finds  them  hard  at  work 
while  they  continue  to  study  their  problem.  Nothing  is 
wrong  with  their  hope  of  success.  The  people  are  spend- 
ing vast  amounts  of  money  for  merchandise  similar  to 
what  they  carry  in  stock.  A  year,  two  years,  sometimes 
longer  is  required  to  get  results.  Life,  like  business,  grows 
and  develops  slowly.  The  mind  accepts  and  uses  new 
ideas  and  ideals  very  gradually.  With  unseemly  tardi- 
ness the  soul  responds  to  God's  Spirit.  Why  not  take 
account  of  these  facts  when  it  is  our  hope  that  we  are 
considering?  Delayed  fulfillment  of  hope  is  not  always 
delay.  The  time  element  enters  into  all  of  life's  proc- 
esses. It  takes  days  of  exercise  to  give  to  a  weakly  man 
a  return  of  strength.  The  student  spends  weary  nights 
with  his  books  acquiring  his  hoped-for  knowledge.  The 
very  nature  of  our  hopes  implies  certain  lengths  of  time 
between  the  birth  of  the  desire  in  our  mind  and  its  pos- 
session. If  God  limited  us  in  time  as  we  do  him,  he 
could  have  little  hope  for  us  for  a  part  in  the  citizenship 
of  his  kingdom.  There  is  need  of  philosophizing  a  bit 
in  dealing  with  our  hopes.  Sometimes  they  are  fulfilled 
the  day  after  we  decide  that  they  never  will  be,  and  we 
are  put  to  shame  as  a  result.  What  sort  of  trust  in  God 
do  we  need  in  order  to  be  hopeful  when  it  looks  to  us  as 
though  he  has  forgotten  us? 


134  HEAET  MESSAGES  FROM  THE  PSALMS 

''Me  and  My  Wife."  Somewhere  a  writer,  stirred  by 
the  narrowness  of  the  prayers  which  he  heard  offered, 
wrote  the  following : 

"Lord,  bless  me  and  my  wife, 
My  son  John  and  his  wife, 
We  four, 
No  more.    Amen." 

He  might  also  have  characterized  the  selfishness  of  the 
hopes  of  some  people  in  similar  strain.  The  hope  of  the 
psalmist  was  not  for  himself  alone.  It  included  all  of 
his  people.  It  was  burdened  with  the  religious  need  of 
his  family,  his  friends,  and  his  enemies.  Not  his  the 
desire  to  rejoice  in  sanctified  solitude.  He  would  see  the 
multitude  glorifying  God  and  rejoicing  in  his  fellowship. 
Are  our  hopes  thus  broad?  Do  we  look  out  into  the  in- 
equalities of  life  and  hope  for  a  place  at  the  top  for  our- 
self?  As  sickness  wipes  out  family  after  family,  do  we 
hope  merely  that  our  family  may  be  spared?  The  inter- 
relationships of  human  life  are  too  many  for  such  selfish 
hopes.  Besides,  the  sort  of  selfishness  which  such  hopes 
develop  soon  impairs  the  ability  to  desire  the  best  things 
in  life.  Away  with  hoping  for  all  of  the  praise  in  life, 
all  of  the  easy  places,  all  of  the  unusual  experiences,  all 
of  the  big  opportunities,  all  of  the  best  blessings  God  has 
to  bestow.  Democracy  is  a  prized  word  in  our  day.  Let 
us  democratize  our  hopes.  Men  are  longing  for  the  king- 
dom of  God  on  earth,  w^hich  is  another  way  of  expressing 
the  hope  of  the  psalmist.  Let  us  broaden  our  hopes  so 
as  to  include  the  Kingdom's  needs  in  all  their  fullness.  We 
will  thus  include  ourselves  in  the  Kingdom's  advance.  The 
love  of  Christ  and  the  will  of  God  will  shine  through  our 
hopes.  The  fulfillment  which  we  so  much  desire  will  be 
all  the  nearer,  for  hopes  become  what  God  himself  desires 
for  us. 

Getting  Results 

The  Hope  of  the  Sower.  The  psalmist  knew  the  ways 
of  a  farmer.    If  be  had  not  himself  cultivated  the  soil,  he 


HOPE  135 

had  watched  others  prepare  the  ground  and  plant  and 
harvest.  He  knew  that  the  harvest  would  not  material- 
ize without  the  planting.  He  also  knew  that  the  allotted 
time  for  development  and  growth  must  pass  before  the 
harvest  song.  So  he  took  heart  as  he  thought  over  the 
hope  so  dear  to  his  thinking.  He  would  put  his  best  into 
the  sowing  process.  Then  would  he  be  able  to  sing  with 
rapture  on  the  day  toward  which  he  looked.  There  are 
some  who  cannot  sing  the  hymns  of  the  church  because 
they  have  never  yet  put  any  life-content  into  their  mean- 
ing. "I  love  thy  kingdom.  Lord,"  never  lifts  in  strong, 
resonant  phrase  from  the  lips  of  a  half-hearted  worshiper 
of  God.  But  he  who  has  found  a  Saviour  at  the  altar  of 
the  church,  who  has  been  practicing  the  teachings  of  Jesus, 
who  has  been  fighting  a  winning  battle  over  sin — listen 
to  the  words  as  he  sings  them !  The  psalmist  seemed  to 
think  that  a  man  gets  out  of  life  only  in  proportion  as  he 
puts  into  life.  Was  he  correct  in  his  conclusion?  Cer- 
tainly a  man  who  plants  turnip  seeds  does  not  harvest 
watermelons.  What  sort  of  seed  does  our  hope  prompt 
us  to  plant?  Should  we  expect  character  results  in  others 
any  more  rapidly  than  we  furnish  examples  of  such  char- 
acter products  ?  What  obligations  does  this  suggest  ?  Are 
we  hoping  more  largely  than  we  are  sowing  in  character, 
love,  deeds,  example,  Christlikeness  ?  Do  we  sow  with 
the  same  earnestness  as  we  hope  for  harvests  ?  The  psalm- 
ist hoped  largely.  It  was  for  something  definite.  He 
was  so  earnest  about  it  that  his  hope  is  preserved  in  our 
psalm.  Do  we  anticipate  the  fulfillment  of  our  hopes  as 
really  as  he  did?  The  feeling  of  certainty  here  must 
effect  the  shaping  of  our  life  in  preparation  for  what  we 
expect.  For  what  harvests  are  we  looking  in  our  lives? 
in  the  lives  of  loved  ones?  in  the  lives  of  our  friends?  in 
the  life  of  our  community? 

The  Great  Fulfillment.  Underlying  all  hope  such  as 
that  of  the  psalmist  is  the  conviction  that  man  is  created 
in  the  spiritual  image  of  God.  He  has  in  him  possibilities 
of  godlikeness.  Is  our  greatest  hope  of  such  character  as 
to  center  in  this  great  truth?  Life  is  short.  The  years 
speed  away  all  too  rapidly.    Does  a  hope  of  eternal  fel- 


136  HEAKT  MESSAGES  FEOM  THE  PSALMS 

lowship  with  God  make  the  years  a  period  of  developing 
that  fellowship  here?  Or  are  our  hopes  all  of  this  life? 
The  lisping  words  of  babyhood  seem  far  away  to  a  man 
in  middle  life.  Gray  hair  and  feeble  steps  wait  almost 
at  the  next  corner.  Life  in  the  living  of  it  is  good.  But 
across  the  passing  years  we  ever  hear  the  voice  of  the 
preacher  of  old  as  he  urges  us :  "Eemember  also  thy  Creator 
in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  before  the  evil  days  come,  and 
the  years  draw  nigh,  when  thou  shalt  say,  I  have  no  pleas- 
ure in  them;  before  the  sun,  and  the  light,  and  the  moon, 
and  the  stars  are  darkened,  and  the  clouds  return  after 
the  rain;  in  the  day  when  the  keepers  of  the  house  shall 
tremble,  and  the  strong  men  shall  bow  themselves,  and 
the  grinders  cease  because  they  are  few,  and  those  that 
look  out  of  the  windows  shall  be  darkened,  and  the  doors 
shall  be  shut  in  the  street ;  when  the  sound  of  the  grinding 
is  low,  and  one  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  a  bird,  and 
all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought  low;  yea,  they 
shall  be  afraid  of  that  luhich  is  high  and  terrors  shall  he 
in  the  way;  and  the  almond-tree  shall  blossom,  and  the 
grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden,  and  desire  shall  fail;  be- 
cause man  goeth  to  his  everlasting  home,  and  the  mourners 
go  about  the  streets:  before  the  silver  cord  is  loosed,  or 
the  golden  bowl  is  broken,  or  the  pitcher  is  broken  at 
the  fountain,  or  the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern,  and  the 
dust  returneth  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit  re- 
turneth  unto  God  who  gave  it.^'  Does  this  ancient  sermon 
find  a  response  in  our  hopes  ?  What  changes  in  our  hopes 
would  make  us  better  men  and  women?  The  psalmist 
has  long  gone  on  who  bade  us  hope  in  God.  Singers  of 
later  generations  have  lifted  up  their  harps  and  sung  their 
faith  in  other  tongues.  But  the  heart  of  the  singer  has 
ever  been  stirred  by  man's  greatest  and  most  insistent  hope. 
The  song  lives  on  because  it  finds  a  universal  response. 
Heart  after  heart  warms  to  its  measures.  It  sinks  all 
other  hopes  of  men  into  an  incidental  relationship.  It 
was  the  hope  of  our  fathers.  To-day  it  is  encouraging 
hundreds  of  thousands,  and  to-morrow  the  number  will 
be  increased.  Out  of  the  hope  of  the  psalmist  and  the 
hope  which  has  become  our  own  we  may  sing  with  Frederic 


HOPE  137 

Lawrence  Knowles,  one  of  our  latter-day  interpreters  of 
life,  these  words  of  truth  and  triumph: 

"This  body  is  my  house — it  is  not  I; 
Herein  I  sojourn  till  in  some  far  sky 
I  lease  a  fairer  dwelling,  built  to  last 
Till  all  the  carpentry  of  time  is  past. 
When  from  my  high  place  viewing  this  lone  star, 
What  shall  I  care  where  these  poor  timbers  are? 
What  though  the  crumbling  walls  turn  dust  and  loam — 
I  shall  have  left  them  for  a  larger  home! 
What   though   the   rafters  break,   the   stanchions   rot, 
When  earth  has  dwindled  to  a  glimmering  spot! 
When  thou,  clay  cottage,  fallest  I'll  immerse 
My  long  cramped  spirit  in  the  universe. 
Through  the  uncomputed  silences  of  space 
I  shall  yearn  upward  to  the  leaning  Face. 
The  ancient  heavens  will  roll  aside  for  me, 
As  Moses  monarch'd  the  dividing  sea. 
This  body  is  my  house — it  is  not  I; 
Triumphant  in  this  faith  I  live  and  die." 

Some  Questions  to  Think  About 

Why  is  hope  of  such  significance  to  human  life  ? 

Is  the  correct  definition  of  hope  as  important  as  its 
possession  ? 

What  is  the  basis  of  our  hopes  ? 

What  has  the  delayed  fulfillment  of  some  hope  of  ours 
taught  us  as  to  the  strength  of  our  faith  ? 

Are  we  sowing  and  planning  for  the  fulfillment  of  our 
hopes  as  earnestly  as  we  are  hoping  ? 

What  has  the  future  for  us  in  the  light  of  our  present 
hopes  ? 

To  what  extent  is  our  hope  to  be  like  Christ  being  ful- 
filled day  by  day  ? 

What  is  our  hope  after  death  ? 


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